Memories
by Sallychan-Stories
Summary: Jack defeated Aku, but lost Ashi in the final battle. Now in his own time, he is tormented by his memories of her. When one of Aku's lingering minions attacks him in the palace, Jack's hope for his own happiness returns; but his quests are never easy.
1. I

Jack stared out over the fresh, red railing of the now rebuilt palace and toward the valley below. Despite the lovely cherry blossoms littering the ground and fluttering freely along with the spring breeze, he could not bring himself to smile. As many years as he had dreamed of seeing this view again, in the few weeks before his arrival home he had started to dread the possibilities of what returning to his life before Aku would mean. Destroying Aku in the dystopian future he had been prisoner to for over fifty years had been difficult, and Ashi had almost perished from the demon's possession of her. But she was strong, and broke free of his grip, and aided him, as promised, in vanquishing Aku once and for all. They barely had time to embrace, relishing in the victory, when she pushed him again, asking as eagerly as ever; "So, what's next?"

The many allies he had accumulated during his quest vowed to help them find a way back to the past, and while they worked, they insisted that he rest. It was during that time, amongst his fantasies of showing Ashi the wonders of his home, that the horrible thought came to him. Ashi was not just tied to this time, she was tied to _Aku_ himself. Upon destroying Aku in his own timeline, even if this world could somehow continue to exist, Ashi could _not_ without her wretched 'father'. The thought made him sick, and though he tried to hide his worry, Ashi was not fooled by his insistences that he was 'fine'.

She left him no choice but to explain to her what was bothering him. The revelation seemed to shock her as well, but after a moment of thought she replied.

"Don't hesitate." That's what she told him.

She told him that then, and again when they were hand in hand, ready to jump into the time portal that science and magic had managed to conjure. The canine archeologists and Andromedan robot scientists had been able to scan Jack and find the exact moment in time he needed to be sent back to, they only needed a power to summon the portal. Ashi stepped up to the task, and screeched a bat-like sonar into the archway. The machine whirred to life, and a familiar, rippling black and white pattern churned within.

"Please, don't hesitate. Destroy him." Her voice had been so calm, like she had never been more sure of anything, and her eyes shone full of the trust and hope he had grown so accustomed to seeing from her.

And he hadn't hesitated. As they exited the portal, Aku still laid defenseless as he had decades prior in Jack's memories. The sight of him filled Jack with renewed, righteous anger, and he drove his blade through Aku's chest and deep into the earth beneath him with a furious cry. As when he defeated him in the future, a bright light erupted from the spot where his sword pierced Aku, and a powerful blast cleared the area around them, breaking apart Aku's citadel until it was no more. When Jack emerged from the rubble, Ashi was gone.

The memory still tore him apart. Watching the valley glittering with flowers wasn't a treasure worth trading Ashi's life for, not to him. He hesitated a moment, then let his expression soften at the small figures of children scurrying and playing near the river below. He finally allowed himself to smile, but it was a melancholy one.

The choice hadn't been made for his own happiness—his choices rarely were, if he was honest with himself. It was, like the infinite other decisions he had made in life, for the good of the many. It warmed him, for only a moment, to think Ashi had been the same way that he was; more concerned with the greater good than even her own life, if need be. The warmth quickly depleted into harrowing sadness as he recalled her choices also always made a point of keeping him safe.

She was the most supportive companion he had ever had; so dedicated to him and his cause that she would devote her life to accompanying him every step of the way, and so venomously protective of him that she would jump to guard him from even the smallest of threats. Even with the gratitude of the entire world, nothing seemed to fill the space left without Ashi's unwavering faith in him.

* * *

The empress shuffled down the hall, slowed by the heavy layers of her ornate junihitoe, intent on checking up on her son. She knew of Jack's depressive state since his return, but hoped every day to see his spirits lift, if only slightly. He requested to stay in a room high within the castle, even after the doari was completed, and she nor her husband could deny him his request, even though it made it more difficult for the aged couple to visit him.

When she entered his room, she frowned at the now common sight of his drooping shoulders and still body looking out over his balcony. The wind rustled his hair ever so slightly, but he did not move otherwise. The empress closed her eyes sadly and shook her head, before continuing towards the balcony. As she reached Jack, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Shinjiro…" She spoke with sad disappointment in her voice; not at him, he knew, but at his continued melancholy. Jack managed to look down at his mother, but soon closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, unsure of how to respond. He had nothing new to offer her to ease her worries about him.

"…Almost all of the homes are rebuilt now, mother." He mumbled, looking back to the valley. The empress sighed again, and rubbed his arm through the sleeve of his gi.

"My son, please… you must not let this sadness consume you." She warned him gently. Jack could only sigh and nod. He was well aware of how prolonged remorse and bitterness could affect someone.

"I will not, mother." He focused his eyes onto a group of citizens working away at one of the new bridges on the river. "…I should go assist those men down there."

The empress looked over the railing, regarding the workers for only a moment before returning her attention to her son. She knew he was only distracting himself from his inner turmoil, but she supposed it was a better alternative than standing on his balcony consumed with grief. As Jack bowed and turned away from her, she spoke again.

"You've spoken so much about her sacrifice for our home, Shinjiro. Her sacrifice for you. Please, if not for me or for yourself, try to overcome this sadness for _her_." His mother's words made him pause, and he closed his eyes painfully. He kept his back to her to hide his anguished expression. He had tried endlessly to tell himself the same thing, but to his heart, reasoning made no difference.

"…I will try." He sighed, and continued out of his room.

* * *

Helping the still-healing citizens of his land had been a welcome distraction from his aching heart in the months since Aku's defeat. Many villagers even credited the quick reconstruction of the Imperial City and the surrounding villages to their prince's almost nonstop efforts. Jack couldn't help but feel a little guilty from their praising—after all, his toiling was fueled by a desperate need to distract himself. But as the villagers regained their strength and former happiness, their need for his constant aid dwindled. Jack found himself helping citizens any way he could, from collecting eggs for farmers to retrieving a lost ball for a group of children. He could hardly bear the moments of peace in-between.

Every happy family, or pair of lovers he saw—even the sight of a beetle lofting away into the long grass, he was reminded of Ashi. It burned his very soul that she was never able to know this level of peacefulness; that she confidently gave up her life for a world that she desperately wanted to experience, and never had the chance to.

Unfortunately, this world wasn't completely free of Aku's influence just yet. During his nearly two decade long reign, violence had become a common method for survival, and some people were unwilling to return to a moral or civil lifestyle. Others had always made a living from raiding and pillaging, and a small percentage even still held loyalty to Aku. Jack could not understand it himself, but again took up defending the innocent as a way to ignore his own pain. His father, though still the emperor and a wise leader, was weak and weary from his enslavement, and could no longer protect his people as he once did, and he found great pride in his son's eagerness to protect their citizens. Again, Jack felt like the praise was misplaced, but couldn't bring himself to confess his selfish motives. He tried to convince himself that it was irrelevant, because he would do the same even if he wasn't consumed with depression.

The worst of all was the night. After the humming of villagers outside faded away into the dark evening, and the only movement within the palace were the guards patrolling the grounds, Jack's mind haunted him. He couldn't stop himself from remembering her; every little bit of her. The many nights they had spent together after Aku's first defeat, sitting bathed in moonlight, sharing stories until the sky was tinging purple with twilight—experiencing, finally, the small pleasures of simply _existing_ , like coming home to the _same_ home every evening, or cooking and sharing every meal together; the memories were hard to experience again. He had hoped, after time, remembering her would no longer bring tears to his eyes, but if that time would ever come, it wasn't this night.

* * *

 **AN:**

 _*junihitoe –_ 12-layer robe worn by women of the court

 _*daori_ – multiple buildings within the imperial compound where the emperor and his family/nobles reside (**emperors actually didn't _have_ castles, those were for shogun and generals… but we'll ignore that part)

I'm so full of possible 'end game' scenarios for Jack/Ashi that I just had to get out at least ONE of them—this one is my favorite by far, so I hope ya'll enjoy my suffering

And I'm using Shinjiro (based off the whole _Momotaro-zamurai_ thing I wrote out on tumblr) as a headcanon first name for Jack, but if his actual name is revealed in the finale I'll be change it afterwards heheh

(This is really rough because I'm writing at light speed, but I'll be rereading and fixing errors over the weeks I'm sure lol)

 ****POST-FINALE UPDATE:** Okay (as some reviewers have commented LOL) this chapter was close enough to the actual finale that I'm going to just… leave it. It you want to go with more canon, pretend the paragraphs explaining Ashi's demise say "They defeated Aku, hung out awhile, Ashi sent them back in time, then perished along with Aku." (No wedding!)

 ****6/1/2017 Update:** I decided to change the returning to past part so that Ashi was directly responsible for it, because it felt important (to me) to keep that part of the finale. ;-;

**3/19/2018 Update: Minor fixing throughout the story before I start updating again... wish me luck! XwX


	2. II

Dreaming was a double-edged sword. In the moment, his dreams felt blessed, like he could finally enjoy the tranquility he thought he would have felt upon returning home. He could feel her, touch her, smell her—it was as though she was right there with him again. Jack relished in those fleeting fantasies, and deeply dreaded the moment he was conscious enough to realize it was just another dream. Often times he would try and convince himself to go back to sleep— _"Just a little longer"_ he would beg his awakening mind, but knew the futility of his pleading from the moment he understood the dream was not reality.

His dream tonight was simple and warm, but he could already feel himself stirring awake. He sighed, looking over the fantastic view of rolling green hills and ponds, holding Ashi's back tight against his chest.

"…I will miss you." Ashi hummed, as though she knew of his approaching departure. Jack winced and held her closer, nuzzling his nose against a tuft of hair that covered her ear.

"I do not want to leave." He mumbled. "…I _need_ you."

"Oh Jack… I need you too—" Ashi's voice choked a second, before she retched out a violent: " _ **DIE!**_ "

The change in tone was so jarring that it shook Jack awake, and even in the dim light of his room, he immediately saw the glint of a blade driving down toward his face. He twisted his head away at the last second, and heard the end of the weapon thud as it hit the solid frame of the chobai beneath his mattress. He barely had time to look to his attacker before the dagger was dislodged and thrust down at him again. He moved his head once more and the blade dug a matching hole on the opposite side of his pillow. Jack managed to heave his assailant off, and grabbed for the dagger that was still stuck in his mattress. His feet landed on the tatami floor with two distinct thuds, and he regarded his assassin again. They were clad in all black with their limbs bound up in equally dark wrappings, and wore a fiercely grotesque demon mask over their face. Their missing dagger did nothing to deter them, and they quickly brandished another from behind their back.

Both lunged, and the sound of blades striking filled the previously quiet room like claps of thunder. The assassin matched Jack's speed easily, and he was surprised to find himself struggling to deflect their slashes. He feared that months of easily won battles had dulled his skills, but the thought only redoubled his determination. They stumbled and leapt throughout the room with haphazard grace, knocking decorations off of tables and walls as they went. As he jumped to avoid shards of a shattering porcelain vase, Jack was aware that the commotion would surely have the palace guards sprinting to his door. As well-meaning as they were, their assistance might only end with unnecessary injuries, or even casualties, from an opponent this formidable.

In a burst of protective strength, he swung his pilfered dagger into his assailant's and knocked it from their hand. Before they could react, he slung his other arm up and across himself, connecting his fist with their jaw with enough force to knock them backwards. They landed hard on their back in the only square of light the room had to offer, solely provided by the moon peeking in from the bedroom's open balcony door. His punch had been powerful enough to knock their mask off, and Jack watched it clatter across the floor and land amongst the broken remains of a potted plant. Jack tried to catch his breath, and readied himself again as his attacker rolled up, half on their side, but nothing could have prepared him for the face that greeted him.

The moonlight made the tense, angry lines of her scowl all the more harsh looking, but it was a look he knew well; she had given him the same expression for hours after they first met. He watched her brows furrow, and eyes flicker to light with rage at the sight of him. Just by the way she snarled, he knew his eyes could not be mistaken—it was _Ashi_. Before he could process his confusion a second longer, she spoke.

" _Disgusting worm!_ " She growled and crouched onto her knees. "You, vile samurai—you will _suffer_ for what you have done to our Lord and Master, Aku!"

Jack eyes widened from the malicious tone of her voice, but its venom only made it easier to recognize that it was truly hers. He was unsure if perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him again, or if this was some kind of cruel, magic illusion, but he had little time to ponder before Ashi had brandished a kusarigama—her weapon of choice from that unkind, distant time. He could only stare in confused awe as the sickle of the weapon whizzed past his face over and over, each time being yanked back harshly by Ashi, and each time missing his face by smaller and smaller amounts. Ashi swung the chain wide with a frustrated roar, but again the blade did not connect. She jerked the scythe back to her again, and with her anger mounting, decided to attack him hand-to-hand again.

She heaved herself at Jack, and furiously brought the sickle of her kusarigama down against the blade of her own stolen dagger, but the metal held, and Jack's block did not waver. He continued studying her face, more certain by the second that this was indeed Ashi attacking him. He couldn't understand why—perhaps she had been brainwashed, or still controlled by Aku's demonic blood, he thought—but it did not truly matter to him; what mattered was that she was _here,_ and she was _alive!_ Jack ignored her exasperated scream at his refusal to die, and pushed her blow away with an excited smile.

As he had done before in that long-gone frozen forest, his hand entangled itself with the weighted end of the weapon's chain, and then easily roped it around her. In her rage, Ashi failed to notice herself being bound until Jack had both sides of the chain and pulled the binding tight around her arms and middle. Jack kept his arms extended enough to keep her restricted, but fell to the floor with her as she thrashed, and ended up straddling her with his arms planked.

" _ **Ugh!**_ You _putrid—!_ " Ashi struggled against her restraints, but could not break her arms free. She tried to knee him instead. "You repulsive vermin! You _dare_ vanquish Aku in the name of your corrupt feudal system!? You will—!"

" _Ashi!_ " Jack couldn't hide his smile. "Ashi, is it truly you?"

Her eyes widened in shock, but quickly fell back into a glare.

"How did you— _ugh!_ " She kicked and thrashed again, but couldn't budge from where Jack held her. Her mind flashed possibilities of how the prince could know her name. Was the coup exposed somehow? Ashi growled in irritation, quickly deciding that it didn't matter. "Do not speak to me, wretched beast! Release me, you _coward!_ Face your destiny and _**die!**_ "

Jack could only stare down at her longingly—even the memories of her vicious, misguided hatred warmed him.

"Oh, what has happened to you?" He spoke gently, and Ashi was startled and quickly repulsed by his smile. Neither seemed to notice the stampeding footsteps of the palace guards approaching until the sliding door of Jack's room flew open.

"My prince—!" The head guard called out, pointing his yari into the room defensively, but lowered it in confusion at the sight of his prince atop a bound female assailant. The remained guards also lowered their weapons and shook their heads almost dejectedly. They hardly did any defending or fighting with their samurai prince taking personal duty over every miscreant and villain.

Ashi tilted her head back slightly to see the guards, then looked back to Jack with a growl.

"You think your worthless sheep will be able to—" She started her insult, but was again taken aback by the loving look in his eyes. She gnashed her teeth at him instead. While Ashi attempted to bite at him, the head guard stepped towards the pair and knelt down, bowing his head.

"Our apologies for not reaching you sooner, Prince Shinjiro." He raised his head again and looked toward the woman desperately kicking and snapping at his prince. "Please, allow us to arrest this villain who would dare attack you."

"No, that's quite alright." Jack looked up to him, still smiling dreamily. Ashi and the guards alike were shocked.

"But I… my prince, do you intend to…" He looked down at Ashi again, assuming that Jack meant to execute her himself. He had never known the prince to be so violent with someone who is already disarmed, but this woman was clearly volatile and might be deserving of such a fate. Ashi was unsure if the guard was referring to execution or some form of torture, but hissed her allegiance regardless.

" _Worm!_ Nothing you or your worthless underlings can do will ever break my loyalty!" She stared up at Jack. "I will never waver! I will not cease until you are _dead!_ "

The guard looked to Jack expecting to see his prince with the scowl he normally wore in the face of such villainy, but was again shocked to see him staring back at this madwoman practically smitten.

Jack sat up and redoubled the excess chain around Ashi, rolling her onto her stomach as he did. He stood and easily lifted her off of the ground, holding her up by the chains on her back. Ashi kicked again in frustration, and managed to turn enough to see him grip the handle of her weapon. She glared while she watched him easily break it off of its chain, and her eyes followed it suspiciously as he passed the weapon to the guard.

"Here." Jack smiled at the guard as though he was handing him a serving of food. "Store this somewhere safe while I speak with her."

"…Speak with her, my prince…?" The guard looked down to the weapon in his hand, then back to his prince with an unsure expression. Jack only smiled wide.

"Yes! We have much to talk about." His elated tone confused the brigade even more, but the head guard nodded and returned to his squadron befuddled. The group of men looked to each other, each thinking another morbid reason that their prince would be so jovial about an attempted assassination. Was his usual selfless nature a ruse to cover a morbid pleasure for murder, or had the time travelling his tales spoke of been too much, and he had finally lost his mind?

Jack waited for the guards to disperse before sliding his door shut again, Ashi still in hand. When he turned back, he surveyed his tattered room with an accepting nod.

"You as formidable as ever, Ashi." He smiled at her, jostling her ever so slightly in hopes of gaining her attention. Ashi snapped her head to the side to glare at him before turning it away again defiantly.

"You speak nonsense." She bit out as he walked them across the debris-riddled room. "If you had faced me before, you would be dead!"

"As 'dead' as I am now?" Jack smiled teasingly, and chuckled under his breath when she responded with a throaty, frustrated groan. He stepped around the remains of a broken basket, and seeing enough room available otherwise, gently kicked its pieces away, then drug a misplaced zabuton over to take its place. He set Ashi down on it, then sat on the matching cushion to face her. Ashi had immediately crossed her legs and was again glaring at him, trying to find some indication of his motives from his expression alone.

Jack continued to stare at her scowling face contently, then took a long, calm breath in. He couldn't believe it was really her. In the back of his mind, he worried perhaps maybe it really was an illusion summoned by an evil spell, or maybe a shape shifting monster that took on the appearance of one he loved most—but he couldn't bring himself to heed his own mind's warnings, he was too happy in this moment to be bothered with caution.

"What has happened to you, Ashi? I looked for you after the citadel collapsed, but I could not find you anywhere! How did you escape?" Jack leaned forward slightly. "You truly do not remember anything?"

Ashi could only stare at him in reply, and the confusion only served to make her angrier.

"You truly are _insane_ , aren't you?" She hissed, and Jack shook his head in thought.

"Perhaps amnesia…" He mused to himself. Ashi growled and jumped to her feet again, staring down at him angrily.

" _You should never look away from your opponent!_ " She repeated her own mother's words, and swung her leg at Jack's head with all of her strength. Jack continued rubbing his chin in thought, but brought up his other hand to block her kick. Ashi screamed in frustration and kicked at him again with her opposite leg. This time when Jack blocked the blow, he quickly changed the direction of his hand and grabbed her ankle. Without any thought, he twisted it around while her kick still had momentum, and Ashi followed, spinning once around and then landing hard on her butt on the zabuton, leg still extended.

"Surely Aku could not be controlling you anymore, he was destroyed." Jack nodded, sure that this time the demon was gone for good. Ashi gritted her teeth and tried to heel him in the stomach, but Jack caught her foot in his palm and pushed her leg back. Her knee tented as he leaned in, and she tried her best to not show any discomfort at the awkward pose.

"Perhaps it _is_ amnesia then!" Jack told her, smiling again. "We must return your memories to you!"

"I have not lost any memories!" Ashi snapped, and kicked her foot out of his grasp. "My sole purpose has and always _will_ be to _destroy you!_ "

She managed to scoot backwards, never taking her eyes off of his.

"I do not know what kind of fool you take me for _samurai_ , but I will not be tricked by your games!" Ashi sneered again. "I have been training to kill you from the moment Mother heard the rumor that you were in training to defeat Aku! I will live with the shame of being unable to save our Master from your wretched kin's blade forever, but you will not escape death either, samurai! I will hunt you down as long as I have breath in my body!"

Jack listened with growing concern; he had heard her speech similar to this, but how could her mother have known of his training while it was still in progress? Maybe she was projecting some of what he had told her about his past into her current state of mind, he thought.

"Ashi, please, listen to me!" Jack smiled again and gripped her shoulders supportively. "I promise you, I will find a way to restore your memories. I know there must be a way."

Ashi shook herself free of his grasp, and jutted her face up to his.

"You are insane!" She stared into his eyes, hoping he would see the true hatred for him in her eyes. Jack only lowered his head and pulled away with a sheepish smile. A kiss might bring back her memories, sure, but he couldn't imagine her reaction if it didn't work. He didn't need her finding him any more disgusting than she already did.

"Please, let me tell you of our travels together." Jack held her shoulders again and placed her properly onto the cushion again, then sat back down on his own. "I'm sure after that you will remember."

* * *

 **AN:**

 _*chodai_ – a raised platform that affluent citizens rest their futons on

 _*zabuton_ – a floor cushion, for sitting

I'm going to be throwing these chapters out, especially after the finale airs and I have nothing left to do with my life LMAO (Unless of course the finale is exactly my idea, which I highly, highly doubt.)

I might even post the next chapter tonight if I have the processing power to proofread the chapter my usual bunch of times… alas.

Hope you're enjoying the story so far, whomever is reading this! The journey is a long way from over.


	3. III

Dawn was creeping over the mountains by the time Jack had finished his story. Ashi interrupted many times, but for the most part simply scowled at him in burning silence. The longer his sordid tale of adventures between them went on, the more repulsed she was—especially at the allegations that there had been some kind of _romance_ between them. She vehemently denied that she would ever accept a kiss from him, but Jack only responded with a blush and awkward laugh. His story finished with him marveling over her skills in combat against Aku, and her selflessness in risking her life to destroy his presence in this time as well.

"Repulsive!" Ashi snarled and sat up straighter. "I would not aid you in fetching _water_ , let alone destroying the Master of Masters!"

"But you did—" Jack tried to reason with her gently.

"— _Never!_ " Ashi interrupted again, then twisted her head away to glare at the wall. Jack smiled at her pouting and nodded.

"I promise you, Ashi, you did." He spoke softly, but Ashi turned to look at him as though he had hurled vulgarities at her.

"You're a madman! I was raised in the Temple of Aku, _here_ , during Aku's glorious reign, and I am no ally of _yours_." She stared at him bitterly, and Jack could only look into her eyes and wonder what kind of sorcery she was under. She absolutely _was_ the Ashi he knew, there was no doubt of that in his mind, and there _had_ to be some way to retrieve her memories. While he pondered possible solutions, there was a knock at his door.

"My prince." A man's voice called out; a guard, Jack assumed. "Are you alright? Are you still interrogating the prisoner?"

Jack shifted his focus around the floor, only half minding what the guard said.

"Yes, I am alright." He replied absentmindedly, then looked to Ashi again. She looked tired—perhaps some hospitality would convince her to trust him more. Ashi noticed his staring and lowered her head into her shoulders defensively.

" _What_." She managed past her clenched teeth.

"Are you hungry? It is almost time for breakfast. I would be honored to have you join me." Jack smiled at her pleasantly, and Ashi was again bewildered by his insistent kindness toward her. She reminded herself of her mother's warnings about the samurai's deceitful ways and frowned again.

" _No_ , I do not want to accompany you to _breakfast!_ " She spat out the word as though it left a foul taste in her mouth. "What is this trickery? Do you _mock_ me, samurai? I've had enough of your games—release me and face me in battle, coward!"

"Please, you must be hungry after such a long night." Jack chuckled and rose from his cushion. He reached behind Ashi and pulled her up by chains still tightly constricting her arms, carrying her to the door with her back to him. Ashi hissed and kicked while Jack walked them out of his room, which startled the guard who had been all but forgotten by his prince. He gasped at the sight of Jack's would-be assassin still very much intent on killing him, and readied his yari for attack.

"My prince!" The guard exclaimed in worry, pointing the tip of the spear toward Ashi. Jack looked to him with a nod.

"I am sorry for worrying you, my friend. Everything is alright." He smiled more and raised Ashi a few inches higher, as if to show her to the guard as example. "I am just moving our conversation to a different room. My bedroom is in too much disarray to share breakfast."

"…Breakfast?" The guard looked to Ashi in worry, then back to Jack. "I… I don't understand, my prince. I do not mean to question you, but why offer so much hospitality to one so… evil."

"She is not evil, she has just lost her way." Jack's smile didn't falter as he continued down the hall, and remained despite Ashi screeching "I have lost NOTHING!" at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Servants brought Jack's usual breakfast to one of the palace's vacant rooms as instructed, and he thanked them as graciously as ever. Ashi refused to see his kindness toward them as anything more than a ruse to lower her guard about his wicked ways.

The trays brought to them were beautifully decorated with expensive looking bowls and plates, though the food seemed oddly humble for what Ashi expected a pompous prince to be eating. She recognized each dish easily; steamed rice, miso, fish, pickled plum—besides some careful garnishing and the quality of the tableware, it would be a breakfast she expected from any 'normal' citizen. She eyed Jack warily as he took up his chopsticks.

"I apologize, but I'm uncertain if I can trust you to sit and eat quietly." Jack looked to her and then to the bindings around her arms. Ashi followed his gaze and glowered. When she lifted her head again, Jack was holding out a clump of rice to her face from across the table.

"Here." His smile was innocent, but Ashi was again infuriated by any act of kindness from him. She tried to butt his hand away with her chin, and Jack retracted it carefully in an attempt to save the bite from falling.

"This is ridiculous! _You_ are ridiculous!" Ashi staggered to her feet again. She couldn't muster any more insults for the humiliating way he was treating her, and instead decided to skillfully kick a small vase from the table at his head. Jack caught it just as expertly, and gently enough that it didn't so much as chip. He set it down onto the table again before standing up as well.

"Ashi, please! I don't—" Jack tried to reason with her, but was interrupted by the door sliding open.

"Shinjiro!" His mother's voice was worried. "You did not join us for breakfast—and what is this talk of…"

The empress paused upon seeing a black clad woman bound in chains half lurching over the table. She blinked, then turned to Jack in confusion.

"My son… who is this? The assassin?" She asked, looking over the woman in front of her again. "Why has she not been taken to a holding cell? Why is she still in the palace?"

Jack smiled awkwardly at his mother's growing concern, but attempted to straighten up respectfully.

"Mother!" His smile widened, but failed to look any less uncomfortable. He stepped around the table and behind Ashi quickly, then lifted her off the ground once more by her back. Jack walked to his mother nervously, and stopped short enough that Ashi would not be able to lash out at the empress if she so decided. "Mama, this is… Ashi."

The empress raised her brows in shock, and after a moment regarded the young woman again. She was very pretty like Jack had described, but she was also wearing such villainous looking attire, not to mention practically growling with rage.

"This is Ashi…? The companion you spoke of?" The empress pressed her hand to her mouth in thought, and Jack nodded more excitedly.

"Yes! Yes, this is her." He looked to Ashi almost proudly.

"I am no companion of _yours!_ " Ashi hissed and kicked her legs violently. The empress gasped at her vicious behavior, and Jack quickly moved Ashi to his side in an attempt to shield the outburst from his mother.

"She has lost her memories somehow, mother." Jack spoke quietly and with grave concern. "I do not know what has happened to her in the months she has been gone, but I will find out!"

The empress looked up at her son with renewed confusion, but quickly relented with a smile. After all of the stories he had shared with her about his adventures in the future, the concept of someone losing their memory seemed as plausible as anything else. She hesitated a moment, then turned with a sigh.

"…I will tell your father of the news." She looked to her son knowingly, and Jack understood that the emperor would likely have advice for him.

By the time his father heard the story, Jack had already made his decision for his next attempt. The emperor found him not in the castle, but outside near the palace gates, packing his horse for travel.

* * *

"My son, what are you doing? Where is this female assassin everyone is speaking about?" The emperor asked curiously. Jack greeted him warmly, and then shocked his father when he turned to the side to reveal a woman bound to his back with rope.

"I am going on a journey." Jack informed him happily, then bent down to add a sack of rice to one of the horses' satchels. The emperor blinked, assuming that his old eyes must be playing tricks on him. But no amount of blinking would correct the image of the scowling woman tied to his son's back.

"… _Where_ , my son? For what purpose?" He stepped closer, worried that Jack might be bewitched. Jack fastened the pouch shut, then returned his attention to his father with a bow.

"I am… not sure where I will go." Jack confessed sheepishly. "But I am hoping that traveling with Ashi again will return some of her memories to her."

Before his father could ask, Jack turned slightly to present Ashi to him. Ashi managed to scream "PIG!" at the emperor before Jack pivoted her out of view again.

"She infiltrated the palace last night with ill intent, but I am _certain_ it is her father! The way we met is too similar for it to not be her!" Jack spoke confidently, but his father was not convinced.

"Shinjiro…" The emperor looked at the tuft of black hair behind Jack's shoulder, then sighed with worry. "My son, I trust your judgement, but your heart is still healing… You cannot let desperation blind you. The heart will see what it desires most—do not let it fool your eyes as well."

Jack blinked and quickly frowned at the implication.

"…I understand father, but I swear to you that this is the same woman I knew from Aku's future." He raised his posture back up confidently. "I _will_ uncover what has happened to her."

The emperor looked at the determination in his son's eyes, and knew that regardless of what he told him now that there was no reasoning with him. He watched Jack tie the reigns of another horse to the saddle of his own and could only pray that he would return unharmed. Fighting off an army was one thing, being forced to kill the one you love most was another.

"I must go now, father." Jack returned to him and bowed. "There is no time to waste. I hope we will be back soon, but it may be many weeks."

"Be safe, my son." The emperor bowed in reply, and watched Jack mount his horse with his own assassin tied to his back. Ashi's legs hung on either side of the horse, and the expression she wore could curdle milk. The emperor found it almost comical despite his concern, and watched the two horses, one white and one black, cross over the bridge and out of sight.

* * *

 **AN:**

[desperately attempts to update before that Finale Bomb drops on me]

Holy WOW! I cannot believe the amount of reviews this gathered so quickly, thank you guys so much! ;-;

I really appreciate all the support so far aaaa gosh. I'm glad to hear people enjoying the comedy of Ashi's fury because it cracks me up LMAO

I'll probably update once more before the finale but oh man, it's going to send me (everyone) into a frenzy I'm sure!

 ****POST-FINALE UPDATE:** Okay so I didn't update before the finale, but I have more muse than ever to finish this continuation of it! WOO [sobs]


	4. IV

The scenery couldn't keep her distracted any longer. Even with the fantastic views of blossoming trees crawling up and down the mountains, and the glittering ponds littering the valley, Ashi was still securely strapped to her mortal enemy, and that fact alone spoiled any natural beauty she saw.

" _Where_ are you taking me?" Ashi asked, though it sounded more like a demand than a question. Jack smiled and tried to peek back at her. They had been traveling through the hills for hours in complete silence, solely because Ashi refused to speak to him.

"You are finished ignoring me?" The chipper tone in Jack's voice made Ashi scowl even more.

"Answer!" She demanded heatedly, and Jack shrugged good-naturedly at her temper.

"I do not know." Jack spoke confidently. Ashi stared out at the stretching road behind them in shock, then frowned again.

"You cannot tell me that you have _no_ end destination in mind for this… this _kidnapping!_ " She attempted to turn enough to glare at him. Jack frowned worriedly and shook his head.

"Please, Ashi. I am not trying to kidnap you, I'm just…" He thought for a moment, and swished his mouth awkwardly upon realizing it _was_ technically kidnapping. "I just… we must be alone in order for our relationship to regain its trust again. Then, perhaps we can find your memories together—"

"I will _**never**_ have any trust for your disgusting hierarchy! The way you treat the people of this country is deplorable, and _you_ will pay personally for killing our savior Aku!" Ashi thrashed hard enough to startle the horse, and Jack had to pat him down comfortingly.

" _Deplorable…?_ Ashi you do not know of what you speak!" Jack pulled the reigns lightly, trying to straighten out the horse's path. "Aku enslaved everyone in Japan! How can you ignore that?"

"Those people were traitors! Imperial sympathizers! Those that were loyal to Aku were not incarcerated!" Ashi tilted her head again to look at him accusingly.

"Okay, but did my father ever enslave the majority of a population?" Jack turned his head to look at her as well, and Ashi narrowed her eyes as she stared into his.

"You think letting your people struggle and starve is more benevolent somehow?" She hissed, and Jack blinked in surprise.

"Ashi if any people were _starving_ —" He started to protest, but suddenly gasped in surprise when he caught sight of a pillar of smoke rising from a clearing ahead. His eyebrows furrowed, and tightened his legs around his horse, bolting off toward the smoke before Ashi could even brace herself. As she regained her posture, she turned to ask Jack why they were moving so quickly, but paused when she saw the burning village they were quickly approaching. As they neared the village, an older woman greeted them frantically.

"Oh, thank goodness it is you, my prince!" She spoke, almost hysterical. "Please, you must help! A demon is attacking our village!"

"A demon!" Jack and Ashi gasped in disbelief. Jack furrowed his brows and leapt from his horse, drawing his sword before he landed on the ground. Ashi assumed he would finally remove her bindings to fight, but instead found herself rushing blindly, backwards, into the burning village with him. A few more terrified villagers hurried past them shouting in fear, but a particular scream alerted Jack to the center of town. He could see amongst the billowing ash what appeared to be a burning wheel hovering in midair. As he got closer however, he could see the deformed, stretched face of a man in the center, and it was sucking the life out of a man collapsed on the floor.

" _Wanyudo!_ " Jack called to the demon furiously before charging it. Ashi turned to see the demon herself, but had a difficult time keeping sight of it with Jack slashing his sword over and over. The wanyudo screeched at them before bowling the pair over, but Jack again landed on his feet. With a carefully aimed swipe to his side, he split the demon in two, and it dissipated into flames with another earsplitting screech. Jack dropped to the ground to check the villager who had been under attack.

"Please… my daughter…" The man motioned feebly to a nearby house with its roof half aflame. Jack looked to the house with a determine frown and hurried to its crumbling door. A piece of the doorframe broke away in embers, and he had to step back quickly to avoid being burned.

"Release me, samurai!" Ashi piped up from behind. Jack looked to her as if to argue, but they only stared at each other with sweat dripping from their foreheads. "There's no time for this nonsense! Do you think you can extinguish these fires _alone?_ "

Jack hesitated a moment, but decided to trust Ashi to not make matters worse. In Aku's future she had always wanted to kill _him_ , but never any innocents. He raised his sword and cut the ropes across his chest, then shrugged off the ones holding her to his shoulders.

"Ashi, I need you to—" Jack started.

"—I will rescue the child, you start putting out the fires!" Ashi pointed toward the well in the middle of town, then leaped through the scorched remains of the hut's door. Jack stared after her and allowed himself to feel a familiar sense of admiration before pivoting and sprinting for the well.

Ashi landed in the smoky front room of the home, and the ash immediately burned her eyes and throat. She removed a wrapping around her wrist and quickly tied it around her mouth and nose as a makeshift mask, then set off to search the house. Despite the heat and her tearing eyes, she found the little girl curled up on the floor of the least engulfed room, unconscious and clinging to a wooden doll. Ashi scooped her up and hurried for the front door. A few steps before she reached it, water hit the burning frame and she jumped through muddy char instead of embers. Jack was cupping a large pan and nervously looked to the bundle in Ashi's arms.

"Is she—" Jack tried to ask, but was interrupted again.

"—I need to get the villagers to safety! Continue work on the fires!" Ashi ordered to him, then ran to throw the child's father over her shoulder. Jack watched her sprint toward the front of the village and felt ashamed for the attraction he felt toward her again. He reminded himself of the task at hand, and began skillfully sweeping water onto the fires.

As she reached the rest of the residents, Ashi set the rescued citizens onto a patch of grass, and hurriedly informed them of their efforts.

"The demon is defeated—we must hurry if your village is to be saved!" She raised her fist confidently, then turned and ran back into the town. Jack had managed to douse a few homes, but was unsatisfied by his rate of progress.

"This is not working!" He called out against the roaring fires. Ashi looked around at the burning buildings, then to the dirt road beneath them.

"Use the sand!" She instructed, then yanked the pan from his hands. She ran toward one of the burned houses and tore up the pressed soil into the pan with inhumane strength. Jack watched as she tossed it onto the flames, then took up his sword to do the same. They both ran alongside houses, slashing at the ground with enough force to throw the soil over the roofs of the remaining houses. Fortunately, some brave townsfolk arrived and began to do the same with either dirt or water. In only a few minutes the fires were contained, and the village, though muddy and smoking, was calm again.

* * *

The townsfolk repaid the duo's efforts with food and lodging. They separated to bathe, and returned to their shared room at the same time, free of mud and ash. Ashi was sour about the timing and did her best to ignore his presence. Him helping a single village hardly dented her image of him, and she was certain again that it was all an act to try and gain her favor. Jack frowned at the silent treatment, but sat down at the set table and began eating anyway. Halfway through his bowl of porridge, he tried to speak to her.

"Please, eat." He offered gently, but got a glare in return. He sighed and shook his head slightly. "You don't need to speak to me to eat."

Ashi continued frowning at him, but decided she was hungry enough to ignore him from that little of a distance. She sat across from him and ate quietly. Jack couldn't help but smile at the simplicity of watching her eat; it felt like an eternity since they had shared a meal together.

"…You are as benevolent as ever, Ashi." He mumbled against the lip of his cup, remembering again her boundless courage when it came to the lives of innocents. Ashi's nose curled slightly, but she refused to look at him.

"Do not speak to me. And stop referring to me by name." She bit out, then continued eating. Jack pouted a little, but didn't argue with her. He decided instead to enjoy her company, even if she absolutely loathed his. A few more minutes into dinner, Ashi spoke to him finally.

"Don't think that saving a burning village changes anything, samurai. You are still the emperor's son, and you are corrupt beyond salvation." She stared at him coldly, and Jack looked to her in surprise. He had never heard anyone speak about his family in such a way—as far as he knew, everyone loved the imperial family.

"…I have told you my story. Please, tell me yours." Jack replied, trying to keep his voice gentle. "Tell me about your hatred for me, for my family."

Ashi stared at him as though he had hurled vulgarities at her once again. What kind of a man, she wondered, would request something like that so calmly? She looked down into her soup and sneered slightly, stirring a piece of tofu around aimlessly.

"…I owe you nothing." She looked up to him, and Jack frowned meekly.

"No, you don't. But I do not understand the things you claim. If there are people in this land that need help, my father, or I, would help them—that is all I know. You insist that the citizens of this land are ignored and starving; please tell me what proof you have." Jack tried to remain passive, but Ashi was angered again by his ignorance.

" _Proof!?_ You need _**proof!?**_ " Ashi raised her voice and set the bowl onto the table hard. "I _am_ your proof!"

Jack was startled for only a moment, then allowed his face to sadden again.

"My mother lived in _squalor_ before Aku rose to power again! She sold her body to survive, and she grew rightfully disgusted with your father's revolting men treating her and every woman like they were property!" Ashi's voice rose higher, and Jack made not attempt to quiet her.

"She created the Temple of Aku, and there, she and the followers she gathered trained in combat for the glorious day that our Master would rise again. They prayed endless, day after day; incantations, rituals—anything that would raise our Father from his slumber." Ashi's eyes fell dark. "And after our prayers were answered, there was _you_."

Jack felt a chill from the tone of her voice, but watched her with unwavering interest.

"Aku praised my mother for her loyalty, and when she found out about the emperor's plan to train you in secrecy, she took it upon herself to stop that plan from ever coming to fruition." Ashi hesitated a moment. "…So she trained _me_ to destroy _you_."

Her words shocked Jack even more, and his mind started racing to make sense of her story. He knew none of that was true—but could there possibly be a Temple of Aku in this time? It never _was_ explained how Aku was able to free himself after only eight short years, and if sympathizers that powerful still existed, they would need to be dealt with.

"But… that cannot be." Jack murmured, but Ashi chose to ignore him.

"I was six years old when Aku again graced this world with his presence. I trained my entire life to stop you from your pathetic assassination attempt." She looked down bitterly. "But I did not reach you quickly enough."

Jack couldn't process that idea. It wasn't possible! Ashi had been with him when he defeated Aku; how could she be so convinced now that she was trying to kill him again?

"…Ashi I do not know who has bewitched you, but I swear to you that I will find out." Jack looked to her carefully, and Ashi was quick to glare at him.

"I am _not bewitched_ , you great fool! _You_ are delusional!" She scowled at him and returned to her dinner. "And the only reason I am not trying to cut your throat as we speak is for the sake of the innocent villagers that would be left with the task of delivering your corpse back to your worthless father."

Jack watched her eat again and felt immensely saddened. She was so convinced of whatever story she had been taught to believe, and she hated his family so much—could there be some truth behind her claims? Were there really citizens left to struggle to survive, and his father had done nothing to help them?

"…Ashi, I was only a boy when I was taken away from the Imperial City." He took up his own bowl and picked at it. "If there was any such… disgraceful leadership toward the people of this land, I had no knowledge of it. But I promise you that it will not happen in this new era."

Ashi raised her head and stared at him. His serious expression was almost convincing.

"I have seen so much pain and suffering from the time that we— _er… I,_ escaped from. I would never allow that to happen to my own people." He kept his eyes transfixed on hers, hoping to see even the smallest hint that she trusted him. Ashi kept eye contact for a few more seconds, then dropped her gaze without a word. Jack sighed quietly and continued his meal. At least she hadn't called him some form of 'lying scum' this time, he thought.

* * *

 **AN:**

Longest chapter yet to heal from that heart-wrenching finale! (Just so anyone knows, this is how I'm pretending canon goes… minus the wedding because I found it very… extra.)

Thank you again everyone for the many reviews! I cannot belieeeve how many this has gotten so quickly, you all rock!

I promise I won't be running out of steam on this one for a while… gotta get that Jashi ending I crave, right? ;)


	5. V

Jack was hardly able to sleep that night. He kept staring at the ceiling and occasionally turned his head to look at Ashi sleeping on the opposite side of the room. She had pulled her futon as far away from his as possible, which was completely reasonable to Jack; they were _strangers_ again, after all.

She slept curled up like a cat, just like he remembered. That made him smile, but her story had his brain buzzing to understand and rethink his plan for returning her memories to her. It was all just too detailed; she couldn't have lost only the memories about him and then seamlessly filled in the gaps of her _actual_ upbringing with a version that fit this time period—not without help, anyway. Jack decided that there had to be some amount of truth to her claims; perhaps after the citadel collapsed she was found by these Aku worshipers, and they brainwashed her into believing that she was raised in this era.

His weary mind couldn't continue questioning for the entire night, and he eventually fell asleep at an ungodly hour.

When he awoke, he was immediately concerned to see that Ashi was not in the room with him. He threw off the duvet and stood up, quickly looking around the room for any indication of where she may have gone. With no sign of her, Jack yanked his sandals on and hurriedly opened the door that faced the road. He stopped short, surprised to see Ashi helping a family load a small wagon with vegetables. He paused, then slowly smiled, contently watching her while she spoke to the farmers warmly. After all of their produce was piled onto the cart, Ashi bid them a safe travel, then turned toward the house again. Her good mood fell when she saw Jack, but her frown was more exasperated than furious.

"…Good morning, Ashi." Jack smiled, trying his best to not be awkward. Ashi only scoffed and pushed past him back into the house. Jack blinked a moment, then followed her back inside. He stood near the door and watched her pack a woven bamboo container into a square of linen, and allowed himself to admire her movements. Some women had offered her a sleeping kimono to use for the night, but now she was again dressed in her black clothing, with the wrappings on her forearms and legs tied firmly once more. He had seen an outfit similar to it when he faced the robot shinobi decades ago, right down to the split-toed tabi boots. Ashi rose and held the bundle at her side, staring at him defiantly.

"…We should leave." Ashi told him, and Jack felt excited from the lack of hostility in her voice.

"Oh, yes, sure! Sure." He couldn't hide his giddiness, and readily slipped his sword into the obi tied around his waist. Ashi narrowed her eyes slightly at his uplifted mood, but had already vowed to not cause a commotion while they were still in a populated area. Instead she headed out the door with Jack eagerly following behind her.

"The horses are still with the farmers that offered to feed and house them for the night." Ashi spoke calmly, and Jack nodded, happy to be agreeable.

"Excellent. We will need them to be in their best condition to continue our journey." Jack eyed her, hoping the baited comment would go unnoticed. Ashi curled a nostril, knowing immediately what he was implying, but bit anyway.

"…Yes, we will." She looked to the side, if only to ignore Jack's elated smile.

* * *

The weather was as mild and breezy as the day before, and the pair road down the worn-in dirt path quietly. Ashi continued glancing back at the disappearing village behind them, but still felt paranoid about their proximity to it. Even this far out there were still peasant citizens driving carts and toiling away in the fields and paddies, and she feared if she tried another attempt on Jack's life that they would either be caught in the crossfire—he _was_ quite a formidable opponent—or worse, try to intervene and protect him. They were innocents, but the villagers in and surrounding Kyoto were likely unaware of how poorly other working-class citizens were treated the further away from the Imperial City they lived.

She recalled the villages her mother brought her to periodically as a child to remind her what their fight was for, and felt renewed bitterness. She looked to Jack, who was happily watching a pair of birds flutter in circles with each other, and frowned at his obvious ignorance. The emperor's efforts to rebuild each village to its fullest did not fool her nor the Daughters of Aku; more shoguns and daimyos would be appointed to power in time, and they too would abuse their control over the people, it was inevitable.

"Do you remember the giant bird we road up that sacred mountain?" Jack spoke suddenly, rousing Ashi from her disgruntling daydreams. "When we were retrieving my sword? It was very fond of you."

Ashi stared at him and thought he must be truly mad. She looked up at the birds still chasing each other through the branches of a nearby tree, then looked forward at the road again.

"No." She answered dryly, and Jack pouted again. He looked off nervously, unsure of what to say to her. They should be able to reminisce about their journey that had gotten them to this point, and instead he was desperately trying to get her to speak to him at all.

"…Um, do you still like animals?" Jack looked to her again with uncertain beads of sweat starting to form on his temple. Ashi glared at him, and he quickly shot his eyes back the other way.

"Do you _honestly_ care about something so trivial?" Her angry stare bore into the back of his head, and Jack could only shrug awkwardly.

"Well… yes, of course." He peeked at her again, steering his horse a few feet further away in hopes of appeasing her need to be distant from him. "You loved animals so much. It was very… sweet."

Ashi halted her horse out of shock, and then stared after him with angry, wide eyes. Jack noticed she had stopped, and guided his horse to the side enough to look back at her. Before he could ask what was wrong, Ashi had jumped down from her steed and brandished a paring knife that she had stolen from the barn.

"That is _**it**_ , samurai! _Dismount!_ I will not tolerate this _degradation_ any longer!" Ashi lowered her stance and pointed the blade at him again in challenge. Jack blinked, unsure of from what he had done to upset her so suddenly.

"Ashi, what is the matter?" He asked urgently, but Ashi only responded with a gagged, furious scream.

" _ **Dismount!**_ " She demanded again, and leapt at him blade first. Her attack startled Jack's horse, and it reared up, sending them both backwards unexpectedly. They tumbled once but landed on their feet, and Jack quickly drew his sword to block her swing.

"Ashi, please—I do not want to fight with you!" Jack pleaded, skillfully blocking each of her blows. Ashi refused to speak with him, choosing instead to continue her merciless attack, which was frenzied enough to have Jack backing up into the forest. Unable to bring himself to do anything besides deflect her strikes, Jack decided to try and guess what he had done wrong.

"I apologize for upsetting you! I would never degrade you purposefully!" He insisted, but Ashi only growled and attempted to roundhouse kick him in the head. Jack ducked and again began blocking her swings with his blade. "If bringing up your love of nature angers you, I won't anymore!"

His apologies only seemed to upset her more, and she screamed a battle cry while she redoubled her efforts to stab him. She managed to cut his arms a few times, and nip the skin of his cheekbone, but was otherwise frustrated to see her attacks missing their mark. She tried to stab his chest, and was again blocked by his sword. They entered a deadlock, both pushing against the others weapon with shaking but firm holds.

"Ashi please, tell me what I can do!" Jack held the top of his blade steady with his palm.

" _You can die!_ " Ashi barked back, and heaved her elbow up in an attempt to hit him in the face. Once again, he moved out of her reach, and her elbow broke splinters off of a tree instead.

"I did not mean to upset you—" Jack tried again, circling around her carefully.

"—That's not what this is _about_ , you _buffoon!_ " She growled and began lashing the knife out at him again. Jack gripped the handle of his sword with both hands, and positioned his blade downwards to continue shielding himself from her attacks, hopping across tree roots and rocks to keep from tripping. They reached another deadlock with their weapons, and Jack tried to guess again.

"Was it because I referred to you as 'sweet?" He asked desperately, hoping that was the answer. Ashi roared back as a reply, and thrust her knife forward again to knock him back. Jack barely had time to deflect the blade from stabbing into his side, but quickly returned to the grueling rhythm of countering her swings. He spun and struck the knife hard enough to force her back, then dropped his own weapon and lunged forward, pinning her wrists against a large tree. Before she could get the chance to kick him, he spread her legs with his own and held her thighs down with his knees.

"Ashi!" He panted urgently. "Ashi, please relax—I'm sorry!"

"You sicken me!" Ashi spit out venomously and thrashed under his grasp. "What is this 'journey' to you, _hm?_ Do you think I'm going to fall in love with your putrid hide!?"

" _No…!_ Well, I…" Jack tried to defend himself, but Ashi tilted her head back with a mean _"Hah!"_

"You're insane! You expect me to believe your wild story of demons, and people made entirely of steel? Time traveling to an alien future, having a relationship with me that I have _no_ memory of, which of course lead me to aid you in killing my entire family, including my _blood_ father, Aku!?"

Jack gulped and felt himself sweating again.

"Ashi I know it sounds—" He stuttered.

"—You're so _consumed_ with this fantasy that you've kidnapped me to try and 'prove' it to me! Why should I listen to a thing you say? You've done nothing but ignore what I've told you is the truth—your ignorance is repulsive!" Ashi's words were harsh, and Jack felt shame fill his chest.

"Ashi I haven't ignored what you've told me! I am trying to _find_ the truth." He watched her eyes narrow and frowned more guiltily. "What _I_ know as the truth and what _you_ know as the truth have to coincide somewhere. I have to find out what has happened between the last moment I saw you to the moment you tried to assassinate me."

" _Or_ you could be entirely wrong!" Ashi stared at him defiantly. "Have you even thought of that!?"

"Of… of course! But I cannot imagine that you could be so similar to—" He was interrupted again.

"What does this even _matter!?_ " She stopped to crinkle her nose at him. "All these _grand_ stories of saving countless races and cities—but what about your _own_ people!?"

"I…" Jack watched her eyes and felt his own sadden. "Ashi these claims are so… troubling. I never saw anything like that as a boy, but if it is happening, or if you feel it will… I want to help."

Ashi's glare wavered a moment and she stared into his eyes, scrutinizing them for any hint of deceit. His worry looked genuine, and she allowed her guard to lower another notch. They stared at one another, both trying to quietly get their breath back, when the calm was abruptly shattered by a clap of thunder. They jolted and were illuminated by a crack of lightning before water rapidly started pouring from the sky, and drenched the areas around the large tree they were under. Their startled nerves lowered into uncomfortable, mild annoyance as water began trickling, then raining, through the branches that had previously shielded them. Jack stepped back from holding her, and they looked to each other uneasily.

"…We should retrieve the horses and find some shelter." Ashi spoke finally.

"Yes." Jack nodded, looking up sourly at the rain. A droplet hit him in the eye, and he rubbed it consolingly while he followed Ashi into the downpour.

* * *

A building-shaped mass down the road encouraged the duo to continue on, but once reached, they found the structure was broken down and missing a roof, which didn't help them at all. Luckily, Ashi spotted a cave through the sheets of rain and they took shelter from the flash storm there. The cave was damp and cool, and now smelled like two wet horses, but it would have to do. Jack removed his soaked gi and rung it out near the cave entrance.

"Would you like to dry your clothing…" Jack trailed off when he looked up and saw her narrow her eyes at him pointedly. He felt his cheeks warm in embarrassment about the implication and looked to the floor. "…too."

He squeezed more water out of his gi nervously and shook it out, mentally kicking himself for being so awkward. When he turned back to Ashi, however, he was shocked to see the back of her bare shoulders as she slid her top off. Jack spun back around and fixed his wide eyes on the floor with a gulp. He looked around nervously while he listened to her shuffling around, and then heard the additional crackling of water on the floor. While Ashi rung out her clothes, Jack decided to scoot over to his horse and dig around in the side pouch for cooking supplies. He pulled out a small ceramic pot and a parcel of rice and shuffled sideways toward the fire, putting extra care into not catching even a peripheral glimpse of Ashi. After pouring rice into the pot he realized to his dismay that he needed water, so he covered his eyes and carefully edged his way to the mouth of the cave.

"…What are you doing?" Ashi commented while she shook out her outer kosode, watching him try and blindly find a solid trickle of water amongst the drippings falling from the cave entrance.

"I am collecting water to cook lunch with." Jack replied, panning the pot back and forth until he felt a stronger stream of runoff spill across his thumb. Ashi looked from the pot to the hand covering his face, then rolled her eyes, assuming it was a bizarre attempt to be chivalrous.

"Samurai." She was already annoyed.

"Yes?" Jack turned toward her, but kept his hand over his eyes. Ashi raised an eyebrow with a frown.

"Stop covering your eyes. I'm not nude." Her voice was dry and unimpressed. Jack straightened up in surprise and removed his hand from his face, and saw that she was still wearing a white top and her pants. The undershirt must have just gotten stuck to the other when she tried to remove it, he thought.

"...Oh." He looked to the side sheepishly and swirled the kettle.

"You're like a child." She huffed and laid her robe over the top of a large rock. Being distracted by birds, now shielding his eyes from nudity; was he a warrior prince or a prepubescent boy? Jack felt his cheeks burn more, and he looked into the pot with a shrug.

"I was only trying to be courteous." He murmured in defense.

"You think I would completely expose myself to you?" The irritated question made Jack jump slightly, and he hurried back to the fire. He busied himself with cooking and tried to think of an explanation while Ashi rifled through one of the saddlebags on her horse.

"You… _used_ to, sometimes…" He mumbled, unable to look at her. "I was just worried that perhaps…"

"Don't be disgusting!" Ashi scoffed with insult. " _Why_ would I—!?"

"— _Accidentally_ , of course! Your clothes were destroyed in battle." Jack looked up at her, already nodding, hoping the additional information would calm her. He decided to leave out his old assumptions about her either not knowing the social implications of him seeing her naked, or her trusting him enough to be nude in his presence. Ashi narrowed her eyes at him, but decided to sit with him by the fire anyway. While Jack set up the stand for the pot, Ashi unpacked the food she had kept from the village. She offered the bamboo container to him nonchalantly.

"Here." She spoke, rousing Jack's attention from the fire. "It's fish and vegetables."

Jack smiled at her contribution and took it kindly.

"Thank you! This will make for a much more interesting meal than just porridge." He replied with a pleasant smile, and Ashi studied his face critically. As he continued working on lunch, she watched his hands and how skillfully they went through each step of preparing the food.

"You have… prepared this before?" She looked up to him, but Jack only nodded contently.

"Yes. I have had to cook for myself for most of my life." The fact didn't seem to damper his mood, and he stirred the bubbling mixture with a smile. Ashi mulled over the revelation apprehensively. Her mother had painted a very clear portrait of the imperial family, and it definitely didn't include anything as humble as cooking porridge over an open fire. She had heard her mother proclaiming countless times that they emperor and his kin were up high in their palace feasting, while those that had grown callouses and blisters to grow the food went hungry. She recalled again how simple Jack's breakfast had been the morning they met and sighed through her nose with uncertainty. If he wasn't feigning ignorance about his father's government, than was he simply another victim of the empire's cruelty? She continued weighing the evidence while Jack went to retrieve his gi. It was still a little damp, but he didn't expect it to dry fully with the current weather. He checked the cuts Ashi had left on his arms, but found that the rain had washed them clean, and the bleeding had long since stopped. With that, he slipped on his gi and returned to the campfire.

They ate lunch quietly, and Jack tried to not acknowledge how strangely Ashi was staring at him. It felt like she was waiting for him to misstep, and he worried that he had offended her more than he thought with the undressing comment. Her fixation on him seemed to relent after she finished her meal, and she moved to the opposite side of the cave to watch the rain. Jack did his best to clean the cookware with runoff water without obstructing her view, then leaned against the cave wall to rest. There was nothing to do but wait with Ashi acting so distant, but the image of her calmly watching the forest eased him enough that he was able to nap.

* * *

The almost inaudible sound of grit against stone roused him from his sleep. Failing to sense any immediate danger, he blinked unsurely while his eyes adjusted, and the first thing he saw was Ashi lowering her stance in front of him. Her attention wasn't on him though, instead she stared intently at the opening of the cave. Jack noticed she was dressed again, then caught sight of the knife in her hand again and felt more alarmed.

"Ashi—" He spoke quietly, but Ashi pressed her forearm against his mouth to silence him anyway.

" _Sh_." She demanded, not taking her eyes off of the forest. When she removed her arm, Jack followed her gaze and realized that the rain had stopped. In its place a thick, foreboding fog rolled through the forest, churning mist around the brush and obstructing the ground from view. As he studied the outside, he suddenly felt the same prescience Ashi was reacting to.

He stood quietly and laid his palm over the handle of his sword, readying himself to brandish it if necessary. The pair silently crept forward until their view of the forest was clear enough to look for movement amongst the greenery. The tree closest to them warped slightly, and they both tensed. The warping continued, and it appeared as though a transparent mass, no bigger than a dog, was moving up the tree slowly. Before either could react, the head and limbs of the creature filled with the same permeable white as the fog around it, and it turned to look at them with hollow eyes.

Jack and Ashi could only stare in shock, unsure of how to react to such a bizarre thing. It continued to stare at them, and despite its eerie appearance, did not seem threatening. After another moment, it crawled further up into the tree and vanished into the air. The fog too started to dissipate, leaving the pair blinking in confusion at the clearing scenery. After some thought, Jack slowly smiled, realizing what it was.

"A kodama." He commented gently, watching streams of sunlight appear through the forest as the sun managed to poke through the now empty storm clouds. Ashi turned to him curiously.

"Kodama?" She asked, regarding the tree the creature was on with caution.

"Yes, a forest spirit." Jack smiled at her. "It is good to see them here, so close to Kyoto. Nature heals very quickly."

Ashi watched the happiness flicker in his eyes and felt a strange hardness in her chest. Aku had destroyed much of the 'natural beauty' throughout the land, but she had been convinced it was a small sacrifice to be free from the emperor's oppression. She looked on at the blossom trees twinkling with dew drops in the now late afternoon sun, and the beauty filled her with more guilt. She walked back to her horse and had barely touched the saddle when Jack spoke to her again.

"Ashi, I know where I want to take you." His expression was warm and excited, and Ashi was immediately curious. They both mounted their steeds and set off again.

* * *

 **AN:**

 _*kosode_ – a short, "small opening" sleeved kimono, worn as both outer and under wear

This got very long, but I was tired of cutting chapters at 2k words! So here's a 3.7k chapter lmao

I really cannot thank everyone enough for the support! ;-; Thank you guys so much for reviewing/faving/following, I'm so surprised by the attention gahh

The finale was such a punch in the gut, I'm happy that my own hc is bringing other people some closure too! This will probably end up being very long, but I think after such a quick season that some slow burn is in order ;)

Explored even more political issues and Japanese lore in this chapter, with some inspo from Princess Mononoke this time. And writing awkward Jack is always hilarious… my boy. Ashi will warm up to him eventually. (Eventually). Maybe even next chapter! ;3


	6. VI

"It is a truly beautiful place." Jack smiled and dipped his chopsticks back into his soup. "At least, it was the last time I saw it."

He pulled a heap of noodles from his bowl and slurped them up enthusiastically. Ashi sat beside him at the bar of a food stall, still contemplating her feelings for this so-called saintly prince. She watched him stuff another wad of noodles into his mouth and looked away doubtfully. He certainly didn't _act_ like a snobby, pompous royal like she had thought he would—in fact, outside of battle, he acted almost childlike. She twisted a more manageable amount of noodles in her chopsticks and slurped them into her mouth, much more quietly than Jack. He looked to her with his cheeks stuffed and felt a twinge of self-consciousness, but was more preoccupied with how pretty Ashi looked in such a casual setting.

"You are enjoying your soba, Prince Shinjiro?" The owner spoke to them with an elated smile, and Jack nodded back with a grin.

"Oh yes, thank you!" He praised with his mouth full, and continued talking cheerfully with the man while Ashi looked on. He didn't look down, as far as she could tell, on any of the townsfolk they had met, and he wasn't demanding with shopkeepers and vendors; the elites she had seen as a child would bark orders in businesses and have guards push 'lesser' citizens out of their way while they walked. She looked back down to her dinner and tried to quell her conflicted mind. These things weren't enough to trust him completely, especially not about any of his 'future' talk, but she was starting to think that his obliviousness was genuine, and the result of a cushy, sheltered lifestyle. The excuse still burned her up, but she could only blame the emperor for that, not Jack himself.

"Are you enjoying your soba as well?" Jack asked her, inadvertently shaking her from her thoughts. Ashi looked to him and nodded before she could even process his question.

" _Oh_ —yes. Yes, it's very good." She looked away again and ate another mouthful. Jack beamed and went back to his own bowl happily. Her attitude had relaxed more since their confrontation in the forest that morning, and he was more hopeful than ever for their relationship.

Jack paid the vendor—more than he owed, Ashi noted—and they found an inn to stay for the night. As they settled into the small room, Ashi couldn't stop her eyes from following Jack wherever he moved. Even when he put out the candle, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and then continued watching him from her futon.

It was maddening, she thought. If what she had seen the past few days was his true nature, then her mother had been so _wrong_ about this prince. He seemed to deeply care about his people and fighting for righteousness. She would never have expected to see him covered in mud and soot, asking peasants, whose homes he had just rescued from fire, if there was anything else he could do to help them. It didn't seem right! Ashi squinted at his sleeping chest rising and falling, and was unhappy to realize she was forming a begrudging respect for him. As her breathing steadied, thoughts of having a benevolent prince as the people's ally filled her with some comfort.

* * *

The pain was excruciating. Ashi could barely breathe, struggling to escape from dark masses binding her, but they held steadfast. She would tug violently to escape, then piercing pain would come again. She had never felt anything like it. It looked as though lightning was running across her skin, and she could only convulse and grit her teeth to bear the agony. When she felt as though she might finally suffocate, her eyes flashed open, and she found herself sweaty and panting, but laying unharmed in bed. She sat up and looked around frantically, and slowly realized she was still in the inn. With shaking breaths, she rubbed the sweat from her forehead, and tried to calm her nerves.

"It was only a dream." She scolded herself, but her skin still felt the electricity's lingering touch, and she rubbed her arms roughly to ease the crackling sensation. She breathed out slowly a few times, but the attempt to relax was interrupted by Jack suddenly opening the door.

"Ashi!" He smiled and extended his arm out to display two hanten jackets to her, but stopped when he saw her anxious expression. "…Are you alright?"

Ashi quickly realized her show of weakness and rubbed her face, as if she could scrub it away. When she looked back up at him, her face was neutral again.

"Yes, I'm alright." She replied, then looked to the garments laid over his arm. Jack smiled at her curiosity and presented them again.

"I bought a pair of thicker coats. The mountain pass may still be cold, even in the spring." He laid hers down over her legs, then continued over to a small table in the corner of the room. Ashi noticed then that there was a pot of hot water and teacups ready on the table, but turned her attention to the hanten in her lap. It was a deep green with subtle light green patterns sewn into the outside. She looked back up to Jack and noted that his was the same but blue, then got up and joined him for tea.

"I asked some of the townsfolk, and they suggested to take the road east." Jack poured hot water into both cups, and Ashi nodded absentmindedly. He continued telling her the directions and warnings he had received from the residents, but Ashi was too distracted by her thoughts to pay much mind. Instead she sipped her tea quietly and tried to decide if Jack was worth trusting.

* * *

Halfway through the mountain pass, a chill wind rattled them in their saddles. They both pulled their respective hanten on, and Jack seemed particularly pleased to see Ashi wearing hers. She eyed him curiously and he shrugged with a smile.

"You wore a green outfit of leaves for quite some time in our travels. It is nice to see you in the color again." He looked off, trying his best not to stare, but his smile didn't waver. Ashi pushed her lips out in thought at the comment, unsure if it was a compliment or not, and decided to ride past him as a reply. Jack wrinkled his mouth in worry and he sped up to reach her side again. When they evened out, he was surprised to see the slightest smile on her lips. Ashi's eyes flashed over to him with a glint of playfulness, but by the time he could focus on it, the shine had dissipated into neutral contentment.

"There is a village up ahead." She tilted her chin up to point to it. Jack followed the direction and could see the tops of roofs peeking over the upcoming bend in the mountain. He turned to her with a smile, but hesitated when he saw her expression had changed again. She stared up at the mountain's cliffs suspiciously, and Jack focused his attention up there as well.

"Do you see something?" He asked quietly, and Ashi sighed through her nose.

"…No, I guess not." She mumbled, and turned her attention back to onto the road.

As they reached the village, townsfolk greeted their hero prince excitedly. Ashi allowed one side of her mouth to curl into an incredulous smile while she watched children clamor around his horse. Jack dismounted and held his horse by the reins, too worried about tromping on someone's foot to continue riding. They stopped for only a short time, for some water and to allow the horses time to rest, but were informed that the next village they would come across they might want to avoid. The tavern owner warned them of a group of oni that were plaguing the town over, and to be careful lest they cross paths with them. He was horrified to realize his cautioning only spurred them in the direction of said village as fast as possible.

The plagued village told them that the ogres were stealing their livestock, and that they were horrified thinking that they may start snatching villagers once the farmers ran out of cows and pigs. Jack and Ashi vowed to defeat the oni that were victimizing them, and sought them out immediately. Further up the mountain they stumbled upon a cave, and the presumed layer of the demons. The entrance was littered with rotting bones, and the smell was musky and foul, even from the outside. They had both anticipated a nasty fight, but Ashi was still in shock from the outcome.

After a harshly one-sided battle against the band of ogres, one of them—the leader, she assumed—surrendered pitifully. She had watched his crocodile tears unsympathetically, and then stared on in disbelief when Jack spoke to them as though they were troubled children. The oni admitted pathetically that they were only stealing livestock because they were hungry and they had eaten all of the goats they could find on their mountain. Instead of turning his nose up at the excuse, Jack decided to teach them pastoralism. Ashi sat on a rock and watched, befuddled, while Jack walked a group of huge, horned demons through gently coercing over and feeding one of the sheep they had stolen. Once Jack was satisfied they had what they needed to raise their own livestock, he and Ashi left and continued on through the mountain.

Ashi could not understand why he would spare creatures as grizzly as oni, or why he would trust them to not continue to attack the village as soon as he left, but Jack seemed confident that they would leave the town alone. He had warned them he would return to check on the village, and he would not be so kind if they went back on their word.

Despite the amicable end, the fight with the oni had left them both covered in mud and wreaking like death, so when the path opened up to a large building with steam rising from within, they almost cried with joy.

"A bathhouse!" They sighed in unison, voices fluttering with relief. Even at the late hour, an attendant was there to take their horses to the stable, and even with the mud caking his face, Jack was recognized as the hero prince.

"Prince Shinjiro!" The man cooed in delight and bowed. "What an honor to meet you!"

Jack smiled sheepishly and bowed back.

"Thank you, my friend." He rubbed some grit off of his chin with his palm. "Would we be able to bathe here?"

"Of course— _of course_ , my prince!" The attendant bounced and motioned his hands toward the entrance excitedly. "Please, go in! The woman behind the counter will help you!"

Jack and Ashi bowed their heads in unison to the man, then entered the bathhouse. The worker behind the counter was equally enthusiastic to have Jack at the facility, and offered him and his 'guest' free baths, a room, and food. Jack insisted on paying for the services, and Ashi smiled at that. They were lead to the men's and women's change rooms, respectively, and prepped themselves for the hot springs with a steam and a scrub.

* * *

Ashi sat on a stool and happily watched the filth slide off of her and onto the shower floor, but when she went to rinse off another layer of the softening grime, she was abruptly grabbed from the back. She turned to seize her attacker, but realized that it was one of the female workers and stopped her claws only inches from the woman's face. The attendant either didn't notice or didn't mind, and smiled at her eagerly.

"Hello, my lady." She beamed and grabbed her arm. Ashi raised her shoulder to try and yank her arm out of her grasp, but the woman held tight and started scrubbing it clean for her.

"Are you enjoying your bath?" Another woman spoke just as chipperly, and Ashi turned her head to the side in surprise. She hadn't heard her kneel beside her, and could only wrinkle her mouth in concern when the second attendant took her hand and started cleaning her nails.

"I, um…" Ashi stammered slowly, unsure of what to say. "Yes, I am."

She hoped that would be enough to dissuade them from bothering her, but was not so fortunate. She let out a soft _oof_ when the first attendant began roughly scrubbing her back.

"If you don't mind me asking, my lady, what is it like travelling with Prince Shinjiro?" Her eyes lit up, and Ashi lowered her eyelids unenthusiastically upon realizing why the pair were so interested in her.

"Are you just companions, or…?" The other woman asked with a cheeky smile. Ashi suppressed a groan.

" _Yes_." She bit out. "Just travelling companions."

The women giggled and Ashi shook her head at the sky, then continued washing her torso while they prodded her with questions.

"Is he as sweet as everyone says?" One cooed.

"He's so handsome!" The other commented giddily.

" _Ugh_ …" Ashi closed her eyes and groaned.

* * *

Jack eased the rest of the way into the hot spring with a content sigh. The only other occupants on the men's side of the water were old men who were either mingling amongst themselves or sleeping against the wall. The bath was divided by a stone wall in the center, with a decorative screen stretching up another six feet or so, keeping the men's and women's side nicely separated from one another. Jack took in a breath of the room's steamy air, then waded through the water and eyed the screen curiously, hoping to see Ashi's silhouette somewhere behind it. He smiled when he caught sight of a round shadow in the corner where the wooden bath wall and screen met, and hurried over in hopes that it was Ashi's head. He sat beside the shadow, with the stone and screen barrier between them.

"Ashi?" He kept his voice low, thinking that if he was mistaken that the woman on the other side wouldn't even realize he was speaking to her. Ashi opened her eyes and glanced to her right, and saw the silhouette of Jack's head on the other side of the screen. She rolled her eyes up, thinking of _course_ he would come and speak to her in the middle of a bath.

"Samurai." She replied and adjusted herself more comfortably against the bath wall. Jack perked up and folded his hands in his lap politely.

"Are you enjoying the spring water?" He asked, and Ashi snorted with a smile.

"I was, until a pervert started bothering me." She hummed in reply and Jack blinked in confusion.

"A pervert? On the women's side?" Jack sounded concerned. Ashi smirked to herself and shook her head again.

"Rather _voyeuristic_ of you, _Prince_ Shinjiro." She eyed his shadow and choked back a laugh when he lurched forward.

" _Oh!_ " His voice was frazzled, and Ashi closed her eyes and smiled wide enough to crinkle her nose. He sputtered a second before continuing. "I apologize! I didn't mean to, um…"

Ashi lowered herself further into the water with a smile and listened to him babble apologies a moment. After she was satisfied with his groveling, she lolled her head to the side to speak to him again.

"I'm not offended, samurai. I was teasing you." Ash kept her pleased smile while she cupped water over her shoulders. Jack blushed in embarrassment and sunk down to his nose in the water and whined quietly to himself. He was so nervous about upsetting her all of the time, and now she was using it to torment him; he felt humiliated. Ashi continued rinsing the mineral water over her arms and chest, but became concerned when he didn't speak for several minutes.

"Samurai?" She asked. Jack raised his mouth above the water.

"Yes?" He replied cautiously, and Ashi smiled again. She thought a for moment, trying to decide on some trivial thing he might want to talk about.

"The minerals feel wonderful on the skin, don't they?" She looked to the screen again and watched the outline of his head raise from the water.

"Yes, it feels quite good." Jack smiled softly, and looked toward where she was sitting. Ashi closed her eyes and relaxed, half-listening while he told her a story about a white rabbit stealing his clothes while he was taking a bath many years ago.

* * *

Jack rented a room on the second floor of the bathhouse, and the pair sat and dried their hair while they waited for dinner to arrive. The staff had taken their clothing to be washed, and provided them both with luxurious silk robes to wear for the night. Ashi sat with her legs crossed on her futon, while Jack clipped his hair back up into its normal bun. He watched her rubbing her hair dry with a grin, then realized something when she shook it out.

"Ashi." He smiled at her when she looked up to him. "It's so strange… Your hair is still so short. It's the same length as the last time I saw you…"

Ashi blinked in surprise, then lowered her eyes. She brushed through it with her fingers a moment, then pushed it behind her shoulder with the back of her hand.

"…My mother cut it." She spoke hollowly and stared off at the wall. She could still feel her mother's talons scraping past her scalp, hooking into her hair, and wrenching her head back angrily. "After she heard of Aku's demise… she cut it off, and exiled me from the temple."

Jack's mouth hung open in shock and he quickly felt remorse for the comment.

"Ashi, I'm so sorry…" He hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I… I didn't mean to…"

"Please." Ashi ran her fingers through her bangs and back to the nape of her neck. "I failed my purpose. I'm lucky that she let me live after a failure so great."

Her calm demeanor only saddened Jack more. He wasn't sure if what she said had even truly happened, but if she _thought_ it did, he wanted to comfort her. He got up from the table and took a seat beside her on the futon. Ashi looked to him in surprise, and her shock only climbed higher when he took her hand carefully.

"Ashi, you have not failed at _anything_." He spoke with sincerity, and Ashi stared up at him questioningly. "I'm sorry that you were… _ostracized_ that way—but you are so much more than an assassin; you saved my _life_."

Ashi felt her cheeks go red, and she yanked her hand away from his grip, rubbing it as though he had pinched her.

"Failing to assassinate you is not 'saving your life'—!"

"—No!" Jack's voice rose in worry, surprising Ashi again. "In that godless future."

They stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak, and Jack's brows fell again when it was clear she didn't remember that either.

"I told you before but… I lost my way." He started to explain sadly. "I had lost my sword, and lost all hope of returning home. As the decades passed, I only fought to stay alive—I still defended the innocent, but it felt like it was something I _had_ to do… That it was all I _could_ do. My purpose was lost."

Ashi had heard his tales about living decades beyond his years many times, and was as skeptical now as she had always been, but the sadness in his eyes was compelling. Jack reached out and set his hand over hers cautiously.

"I tried to… commit seppuku." He looked away shamefully. "But _you_ —you _found_ me. I don't know how, but you did. And you uplifted my spirit again, and convinced me that there will always be _hope_."

They locked eyes again, and Ashi was too transfixed to slap his hand away this time.

"…I owe you my life." Jack's voice was so sincere that it made Ashi's stomach twist into knots. Her eyes tried to find something else to look at and, finding nothing, she turned her whole body away, if just to break contact with him. She folded her arms nervously, unsure of what to think once more.

"Ashi…" Jack mumbled, starting to blush in embarrassment. He thought in worry that perhaps he had overstepped their current relationship with a topic so intimate. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to be uncomfortable…"

"You really believe all of that, don't you?" She asked, still unable to look at him. When he didn't respond right away, she decided to clarify. "Surviving for fifty years in the future? Knowing me, even though I've never been to such a bizarre time?"

"I don't _believe_ it, Ashi, I _lived_ it." Jack replied seriously. "It was a Hell—purgatory, I thought sometimes, as punishment for my failures."

Ashi stayed quiet a moment, then turned to look at him again.

"Why, even when I refuse every time, do you insist that I was there? Couldn't you be mistaken? Don't you think, for even a moment, that you could be?" She asked and Jack sighed through his nose to relax himself.

"…I owe you too much." Jack spoke quietly, and Ashi raised her eyebrows in wonder. "I don't know what has happened, but if someone has hurt you, or is using you, then I must find the truth, and free you."

They stared at each other once more, and Ashi felt a strange feeling swirling inside her. She had been so sure before that her mother was brutally honest with her, but the earnestness in Jack's words filled her with such an immense desire to trust him—it almost made her sick. That was of course, until the smell of food hit her nose.

Three attendants cheerfully brought in three large trays of food, startling Jack and Ashi out of the intimacy of the moment. They set the meal onto the table, then knelt to bow to Jack fully.

"Is there anything else we can do for you, Prince Shinjiro~o?" Their eyes sparkled hopefully, making Jack and Ashi look to each other in concern. Jack smiled awkwardly and bowed his head to the workers.

"No, thank you very much." He tried to remain pleasant, but was nervous again when they giggled in reply.

"Have a good night, Prince Shinjiro." They hummed sweetly, then left with another set of giddy laughs. Jack turned to Ashi, then raised his shoulders nervously, hoping she wouldn't find him lewd somehow for the attention. Ashi looked at the hopeful, embarrassed look in his eyes and snorted with a smile. She moved to the table without a word, and Jack followed after her happily.

Ashi was amazed with the assortment of food, and wondered if he had really thought when he ordered it that they would be able to finish it all between just the two of them. Jack seemed eager to take on the massive heap, and took up his chopsticks. Ashi watched him eating and smirked in disbelief at his childish enthusiasm for food, then shrugged and followed suit.

After eating until they both were on the brink of nausea, they managed to sluggishly crawl themselves to their respective futons and collapsed for the night.

* * *

 **AN:**

This chapter is 4k words and I can't believe it! Lol, so much for chapter size consistency…

Writing this one was so fun, I'm really eager to get back into the whimsicalness that Jack's S1-4 adventures had. I had to remind myself that Jack has been through some ridiculous stuff LOL it wasn't always as dark as S5!

And Ashi finally called him 'Shinjiro'… sighs happily. They've come so far.

Thank you guys for all the reviews and SO MANY faves and follows! I'm so happy every time I get an email notif for this story telling me I have a new review/fave/follow… I really appreciate all the support ;_; blushhu

For those that follow my tumblr, you already know, but I've recently graduated and have a ton of free time to continue writing and drawing for this AU! If you'd like to see any art I've done or questions I've answered about the fic, they are all under the tag 'sj memories' on my Tumblr :')

Thanks again! ;-;


	7. VII

They left the bathhouse early that morning, feeling refreshed from the spring's healing waters. Both hugged their now-clean hanten tight as they continued up the mountain, but Jack estimated that it would only be two more days of travel until they arrived. The weather was mild aside from the cold wind that would billow over them every few minutes, and the rest of the trip was rather peaceful. Jack felt hope bubble in his chest as Ashi continually spoke more civilly to him as the days passed. She would still be distant with him, but the venomous hatred was seemingly gone. He hoped in the coming weeks that she would learn to actually _like_ him again.

The pair slept against the base of a cliff one night, and in the living room of a hospitable couple the next. The house was the only building Jack and Ashi had seen this far up the mountain, and it was very humble. There was only one bed in the home, and the couple tried to insist that Jack use it, but he refused. He instead decided to sleep sitting up against a support beam in the middle of the center room, and Ashi again felt admiration for his humility. She slept with her back leaning on the other side of the beam, also refusing the couple's offer of their bed.

As morning shifted into afternoon, Jack and Ashi finally crossed over the top of the mountain. There was still some snow on the peaks around them, but the late morning sun kept the temperature balanced nicely. A smaller ridge blocked their view of the valley, and Jack was eager to pass it. Once they rounded the hill, the road continued upwards then leveled off on a cliff, and an expansive, lush river valley opened into view. Jack's eyes glittered in excitement to see the valley again, then turned to Ashi and was delighted to see her eyes sparkling in wonder too. Below, hills covered with flowering trees rolled between the rivers and lakes like pastel waves, rising and dipping alongside the water as though they were part of the current. What buildings were visible could barely mark the landscape, and poked through the bushels of soft color with sharp, dark lines.

"It's so… beautiful." She marveled in quiet awe. Jack's smile started to tingle his cheeks, and he had to turn away and chuckle. Ashi looked to him curiously from his laughing, and he shook his head gently.

"I cannot believe that it's still all… _here_." He breathed the last word with happy relief, looking over the view once more. "I haven't seen it in so long… decades, even…"

Ashi lowered her eyebrows in thought. She couldn't believe it was possible that Jack could live for seventy-five years and look the way he did, but she also couldn't find any motive for him to lie about it. Originally, she thought he might just be insane, and then began thinking that perhaps he was using the fantastic story to gain more notoriety from the populace; but seeing now how modest he was over the past week, she couldn't think of any reason at all that he would lie. She looked back to the valley with a sigh, and decided to ignore her questions for now.

* * *

They descended the mountain quickly because of Jack's exuberance, and entered the first village they found. Ashi wasn't sure of his plan, but followed him around town regardless, both walking and holding their horses by their bridles. Jack began asking people excitedly if there were any vacant homes that were available to purchase or rent, and Ashi was curious as to why they couldn't just stay in an inn like they had for days prior. Many villagers were eager to help their prince, but none had any vacant homes to offer. Several families offered them a room to stay in, and a handful of single women coyly suggested that Jack stay with them for the night. Jack seemed to freeze up and stumble with his words around the women, and Ashi exasperatedly drug him away, lest they spend the entire day waiting for him to sputter out responses.

Finally, they met an old man selling fish that had the accommodations Jack was looking for. He sold away a large carp to another customer, then continued his conversation with Jack.

"The home is empty right now; my wife and I built it for our son to use as a bride price." He explained happily. "People said we were too hopeful, that he wouldn't return from the slave encampment Aku had taken him to—but he did! Except, he had already found a wife."

The man laughed, and both Jack and Ashi smiled with relief to hear his son was alive.

"The woman that he fell in love with—sweet girl—is actually the daughter of a noble family. Once they were reunited, the family offered them a much larger home as thanks for her safe return." The man smiled proudly. "So, the house is vacant, my prince, if you are interested!"

"Yes, yes! That sounds wonderful." Jack smiled and slipped his hand into the front of his gi to retrieve his wallet. He opened the drawstring bag and dug around excitedly. "How much would it be to rent the house for a few weeks?"

"I cannot charge you anything, my prince!" The merchant went back to stacking fish onto the counter.

"Freeing us all is more than enough payment…" The man's wife joined him behind the stall and smiled at Jack appreciatively. Jack crinkled his mouth, unable to _not_ pay them for the service. He pulled a golden koban coin from the bag and held it out in front of him.

"Please—would this cover it?" He lowered his eyebrows meekly, but Ashi and the couple gasped at the large sum tucked between his thumb and index knuckle.

"My prince, I could not accept that." The man replied breathlessly, and Jack pouted again. He dug around in the bag again and offered his palm out with two gold ichibuban pieces instead.

"I insist, my friend." Jack held his hand out to the couple, and they looked to each other unsurely. They decided to not argue their prince's generosity again, and took the coins from him gingerly.

"You are too kind, Prince Shinjiro." The wife hummed, and the pair bowed their heads to him. Jack surprised them by bowing in reply, and Ashi joined him contently. The man left his wife to tend the stall, and lead the pair along a narrow path that hugged the mountain.

Both Jack and Ashi enjoyed the view of the river running alongside the cliff far below, and were then taken by surprise at the tall, thin waterfall that burst from a break in the trees on the other side of the ravine. The road dipped down until it met with the river on a small embankment, then rose up again, and on a scenic little cliff, sat the house. Jack smiled more at the lovely backdrop the home had, and thanked the old man warmly.

The house, like all of the homes throughout the land, was newly repaired by order of the emperor. It was in the same style as the other homes in the village, but it's _irimoya_ 'hip-and-gable' roof was fitted with polished, blue-grey ceramic tiles, unlike the brown wooden shingles of the townhouses, and its pillars and floors were both a deep brown. It looked serene, sitting alone atop the protruding cliff, Jack thought. He thanked the owner again and watched him leave toward the village again, then lead his and Ashi's horses into the home's modest stable to rest. When he returned, Ashi was looking out over the ravine, and he felt a pride similar to the one he had felt when he had taken her to the desert, knowing she would enjoy seeing the leviathan camel-like creature they would travel on. Ashi turned to look at him and he straightened up politely.

"Perhaps we should go inside?" Jack offered gently and gestured to the door. He walked up the steps and onto the house's small porch, and Ashi eyed him suspiciously. She had heard him ask for a few weeks stay, but she still didn't know _why_. Was there something special about this valley, or was he simply looking to isolate her? After a moment of hesitation, she followed up the steps and into the house. Jack had left his sandals sitting neatly in the entryway, and Ashi removed her tabi boots as well before continuing onto the raised level of the home. She looked around the center room for Jack, and quirked a brow questioningly when she didn't see him right away. She heard a door slide and turned to check.

"This home is beautiful!" Jack smiled at her excitedly, then went back to the bedroom to look around more. Ashi was only more confused by his enthusiasm and joined him in the bedroom. The room was small, but no smaller than their previous lodgings, and its walls and doors were detailed with paintings of mountains and waterfalls. Jack was preoccupying himself with the view from the bedroom window when Ashi noticed the open linen closet and checked its shelves—it was immediately obvious that there was only one futon folded up inside, along with some blankets. Ashi twisted her lips to the side in a frustrated frown, then looked to Jack.

"…Samurai." She spoke to him dryly, and Jack turned to her curiously.

"Yes?" He walked to her side, and Ashi folded her arms across her chest with a huff.

"There's only one bed." She looked up to him unhappily, and only got more cross looking the longer it took him to process her complaint. After a few seconds Jack raised his eyebrows in concern, but he was too late to escape Ashi's accusations.

"Is _this_ what you're planning then?" She asked angrily, and Jack quickly shook his head in worry.

"No, no, no—not at all!" He smiled meekly and raised his hands in defense. "We will just purchase an additional futon when we buy supplies tonight."

Ashi squinted at him, unsure if his answer was enough to pacify her.

"…Supplies?" She questioned. Jack took out the futon and opened it to check its size.

"Yes, like spices and tea… maybe some cookware. I should check the cupboards." Jack commented offhandedly while he folded the futon back up. Ashi steamed, irritated again by her inability to find a motive in his plans.

" _Tea?_ " She questioned in a demanding tone. "Are you planning something or not? What does this valley have to do with 'retrieving my memories'? What will staying in this house do?"

Jack blinked, then looked away nervously. He stuffed the bedding back into the shelf and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't really… have a plan yet." He looked to her, and immediately spoke again when she opened her mouth to yell at him. "—Yet! Yet."

Ashi narrowed her eyes and Jack did his best to not squirm.

"I thought that, maybe, if we travelled together and could... _stay_ together—just you and I—that it might encourage your memories to resurface." He thought a moment. "And if nothing else, that if someone were to come looking for us, that we would be away from any innocents."

He looked to Ashi, and she took a moment to mull over his excuse. She walked over to the bedroom window and watched the waterfall billowing from the rock face with her arms crossed. The implication of being away from 'innocents' didn't go unnoticed, and she turned back to him almost uneasily.

"Are you expecting someone to be following us?" She asked, and Jack sighed through his nose.

"I don't know." He rubbed his chin a moment, unsure of what to say. "I suppose that's the problem for now; _I don't know_. I only hoped to ensure that we, and anyone nearby, would be safe in the event that there's something… _nefarious_ about your missing memories."

Ashi nodded slightly, able to at least understand the need for caution. She was certain that in light of her failure, the Daughters of Aku would be sending more assassins for Jack's head, if only in the name of vengeance.

"But… the view is quite lovely, isn't it?" Jack stepped to her side by the window, and Ashi glowered at him with heated chagrin. She couldn't shake the nagging suspicious that he was just trying to _woo_ her. She only grunted in reply before turning and leaving the room. Jack pouted slightly, but sighed in acceptance, and followed her into the main room again.

* * *

Once Jack had surveyed what accommodations the house had to offer, the two returned to the village for cooking supplies and more bedding. They decided to leave the horses this time, and walked together along the gravely dirt road. Ashi peered over the edge into the canyon below and saw multiple fish darting around in the river. She snorted softly in approval, thinking that dinner would be easy to find for the next few weeks, then questioned herself; was she just going to accept that she was staying with Jack for some undisclosed amount of time? How quickly she had accepted the situation upset her, but she reminded herself that she also had nowhere else to go. She supposed, if she was being logical about it, staying with him and determining if he was honest or not was the best use of her time.

When they arrived at the village, a group of children greeted them excitedly. Ashi stepped back a few feet and let the kids mob Jack with a smile. Most were too shy to approach Jack completely, but one young girl waddled right up to him and raised her arms, as if asking to be picked up. Jack was surprised by the child's forwardness, but laughed good-naturedly and scooped her up so she was sitting on his forearm.

"My love, please don't bother the prince!" Her mother called worriedly. Ashi turned and looked at the women, having not noticed her until then.

"It's quite alright!" Jack laughed and bounced the girl in his arms. She giggled and pushed her hand onto his face, making Jack scrunch his nose with a wider smile. Ashi watched him, amused, when the girl's right arm caught her attention. As Jack turned and the child's sleeves slipped down more, she noticed that her arm was amputated at the elbow, then realized too that her eye was blind and had a rather mangled scar across it. Ashi blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly at Jack rocking and talking to her in a silly voice. The mother sighed, also relieved, but with some reserve in her eyes.

"Our prince is so kind…" She murmured. Ashi looked to her questioningly, and followed the woman's gaze back to her daughter's injuries. They watched Jack squat and speak to the other children awhile, still holding the girl in his arms.

"…It was one of Aku's minions." The woman spoke again. Ashi turned to her again in confusion, and the woman continued sadly. "She was supposed to be turning one of the wooden wheels, but… she stopped to play with something—a stone, I think. The guard did not show mercy…"

Ashi felt like she had swallowed a rock. Her eyes darted back to the child, and she felt her disgust rising. The girl didn't look like she could be more than four years old now, and her wounds were _not_ fresh. Imagining one of Aku's guards attacking a child so small made her sick, and a familiar revulsion boiled in her belly. For years she had known that Aku kept child slaves, but her mother had told her they were the children of imperial sympathizers, and would grow to be revolutionaries if they were not kept in line. That ideology had been hard to accept without witnessing it first hand, but seeing one of the victims of such cruelty here in front of her was more than she could bear.

"We owe Prince Shinjiro so much." The mother sighed, smiling again. "Seeing her so happy… I never could have imagined it."

Ashi regarded the woman sadly, then turned her attention back to Jack. She blinked in surprise, then snorted back a laugh at the sight of him with children crawling all over him as though he was a tree. Jack raised his arms out like a scarecrow and watched the toddlers dangling off of him with a laugh, and Ashi couldn't stop a comfortable warmth from spreading across her cheeks. She could only watch him play for a few more seconds before her admiration started to embarrass her, and she left into one of the stores shaking her head and smiling.

Jack noticed her leaving and hurriedly tried to excuse himself from the crowd of children, and with some help from their guardians, he was able to make his way to the building Ashi had ducked into. He looked around and saw her near the back, looking over barrels of dry goods. He smiled hopefully and walked to her side, fearing that she might be irritated with him again, but was surprised when she greeted him with a smile. He felt his heart skip from the reverence in her eyes, and smiled wide to cover his nervousness.

"Sorry about the wait…" He offered passively, and busied himself with one of the barrels. Ashi's content smile didn't falter, and she moved to the barrel beside him.

"It's alright." She kept her reply short, but Jack was taken by how gently she spoke to him. He felt his heart quickening with excitement, and tried to keep himself from smiling too much.

* * *

The days passed quietly, and Jack insisted on spending the daylight hours exploring the expansive woodlands and meadows in the valley. It felt strange to Ashi to have so much free time; her life had been nothing but training since she was six years old, and to spend days on end doing nothing but finding flowers and climbing titanic trees seemed bizarre. She always had an affection for nature though, despite hardly ever being able to experience it, and found herself transfixed by the bugs flying around in the tall grass fields.

This afternoon, she had lowered herself into the grass to watch a beetle float by, when she heard what had to be the sound of a crashing ocean wave. She looked up, startled, but couldn't identify where the sound had come from. Jack was across the field near a small stream, but it couldn't have enough water to mimic a sound you would hear from the sea. The ladybug landed on her cheek suddenly and she flinched with a smile, sending the beetle fluttering off again.

Deciding to label the noise as a tree falling somewhere in the forest, Ashi made her way through the tall grass and to Jack's side again. She knelt down by him and observed the tadpoles he was happily watching swim in circles. She couldn't help but think that he was strange for his attention to such mundane things, but watched the tadpoles with him for a few minutes anyway, interested by their beady little eyes and the very beginnings of their hands and legs. Jack watched one flay its tale and dart across the puddle, then looked to Ashi.

"We should return to the cottage and catch dinner soon." He suggested, and Ashi nodded absentmindedly. She watched the tadpoles a moment longer, then rose with him and started the walk home.

It was odd, she thought, as she considered the idea of 'home'. Her home had always been by her mother's side, and for seventeen years, in the Temple of Aku, but because of her failure to assassinate Jack and save Aku, that was no longer, and likely never would again be, her home. The house she was sharing with Jack was only a temporary idea of 'home', and the sensation she got from it was very strange, but comforting. She had no bad memories tied to it, even when she was sharing it with her former arch nemesis.

They reached the river and the thought picked at her mind while they removed their shoes and Jack shrugged off his gi. He wasn't her enemy anymore, at least not for now, and that was more than she could digest. She had hated him so much—truly _despised_ the image of him that her mother had built up—and was now faced with the horrible realization that he was just a pawn. She couldn't even be sure anymore that Aku was any better than Jack's corrupt family and government. If he had allowed his guards to attack a toddler so viciously, how could he be?

She let the cool water of the river distract her from the troubling thoughts, and waded out to her knees in the slow current. Fish darted around as she and Jack found good footing amongst the clay and stone, but slowly returned to their lazy rhythm the less the pair moved. They each wielded a sharpened branch, and positioned themselves squarely, readying themselves to heave the spears at any moment. Their eyes followed along potential targets until each chose a fish, and they threw their spears simultaneously. The dual splashes startled them a moment and they both looked up, only to see that the other had also thrown their spear, then chuckled at their own alarmed reactions.

They carted their catches up to the house, and Jack began preparing dinner as he had for the past few nights. Ashi watched him rekindle the ashes of the irori with some firewood, then get to work prepping the fish and skewering them. She sat with her legs crossed, but felt restless, and decided to assist him with dinner tonight. She filled the cast iron kettle with water, and hung it from the pothook over the fire. Jack looked up to her in surprise, and thanked her happily for helping. Ashi shook her head in amused disbelief at his cheerful attitude, then continued to prepare the tea leaves.

* * *

They ate dinner quietly, but Ashi's mind felt loud and crowded while she tried to sort through everything that she now knew. She had devoted her life to the glory of Aku; taught to never question their Lord and Master, and yet now, that was all she had— _questions_. Her thoughts continuously returned to the mental image of that mutilated young girl, and tried again and again to excuse Aku for allowing such violence to happen, but she couldn't. There _was_ no excusing it.

"Ashi?" Jack's voice interrupted her conflicted mind abruptly. Ashi snapped her head up to look at him, and Jack bent his mouth up nervously. "Is everything… alright? Does your dinner taste strange?"

Ashi watched him a moment then smiled back, trying to ignore any embarrassment she felt from being startled.

"You ask about your cooking at every meal. I think you just want me to compliment you." She teased quietly, and Jack's cheeks tinged pink.

"No, that's not…" He mumbled and poked at his bowl with his chopsticks. "…I just want to make sure you're enjoying yourself."

"Everything is fine, Shinjiro." She continued eating, and Jack grinned again from her using his name. He had only told Ashi his birthname a few days before they had returned to the past, and even then she still mostly referred to him by 'Jack'. He blushed down at his dinner, thinking that his name sounded lovely in her voice.

"…Actually," Ashi started, and Jack looked up at her again. "I've been thinking about Aku."

Jack frowned at the mention of the demon, but nodded as if asking her to continue. Ashi hesitated a moment, then spoke again with a sigh.

"I keep thinking about that little girl. The one in the village that is missing her right arm." She raised her eyes and watched Jack intently before looking away again. "Her mother told me it was one of Aku's minions that did that to her."

Jack had already assumed as much, but the mention of Aku's cruelty angered him to his core, and he squeezed his bowl tightly to control his disgust.

"Mother never denied that Aku enslaved children." Ashi watched the fire uneasily. "She said that he had to, because they were children of the resistance; that if Aku did not control them, they would grow to rebel against him."

The excuse repulsed Jack, and he straightened up defiantly. He tried to gather his words to articulate how vile and sickening such ideology was, but Ashi beat him to it.

"I tried to not question it, to not _think_ about it, but seeing her… that little girl…" Her eyes glossed over, letting her imagination fill in the blanks of what horrors the child must have faced. "…Such violence is not excusable. I cannot persecute your father for allowing his underlings to mistreat citizens, and then turn a blind eye when Aku does the same."

She locked eyes with Jack again, and as the two stared at each other, they both felt the new understanding between them. Jack smiled first, and nodded his head once.

"Your morality was always good, Ashi." He praised. "You couldn't ignore the truth before, either."

Ashi felt hollow with the sinking realizations that her life's teachings were as corrupt as the system she had always fought against, but felt some comfort from Jack's faith in her.

"Thank you, Shinjiro." She smiled gently, and Jack felt his heart flutter again. He was more hopeful than ever before that Ashi would return to normal, and that belief lifted his spirits higher than they had been in months.

* * *

 **AN:**

WHOOSH these chapters are averaging 4k words each time now… amazing. Aren't they adorable?

For those that noticed, yes Ashi's dream last chapter was when she was tortured by Dominator ;) Hope you caught the flash she had this chapter too!

Thanks for the love y'all! I'm having so much fun writing this, and I have it outlined up to chapter 16 so far—let me tell you, it's going to get _juicy_. Next chapter is going to be a ~drama bomb~, so look forward to that soon :)

And I'd like to take this moment to say: OMG thank you for 100 FOLLOWERS! I'm so honored aaahh oh _man_ … I don't even know what to say. Thank you!

And as a side note, FFnet finally added the characters I suggested to the _Samurai Jack_ section here, so now the story can officially say [Jack/Ashi] :D


	8. VIII

Ashi gritted her teeth, but it did nothing to dull the pain. She tried to twist and claw her way out of whatever was suffocating her this time, but it was useless. The creatures enveloping her were small, but could churn and swallow her easily in such a large volume. Worse still was the shooting pain throughout her body; it felt like snakebites all over her skin, but the burning was more than any poison she had been subjected to—she was sure that she was being eaten alive. The horror of the thought jolted her awake, and she looked around the room in a panic.

She scrambled forward at the feeling of something against her back, but realized upon turning her head that it was only the wall. Still, her eyes darted around the room to confirm nothing was inside with her, and her hands patted the floor anxiously, as if they might land on whatever was causing her so much pain, and she could then destroy it. But her eyes and hands found nothing, and she could only sit up on her knees and rub her forearms roughly to ease the stinging in her skin. The afternoon sun shone through the center room's window, and Ashi tried to remind herself where she was.

Jack had gone down to the river to catch fish, and she went to town to buy more rice and vegetables. When she had returned before him, she decided to take some time to rest inside the house. Her breathing steadied, and she pushed her fingers across her face and up into her hair. She must have fallen asleep, she thought. She glared at the cozy wall as though it was its fault that she had fallen asleep, then rubbed her eyes with her palms. For weeks her dreams had been plagued by horrible torture—she was starting to think that perhaps her mother had put a curse on her as an additional punishment for failing the temple so miserably.

She dug her nails into the skin on her arm, half in anger, and half to fight away the lingering crawling feeling all over her. Her fingers shook anxiously while she dragged her nails down her skin, leaving pink lines across her forearms. Ashi took in another ragged breath, then exhaled slowly, and the burning sensation finally left her. A pair of birds chirped to themselves outside, and she regarded the sound with a tired expression. She hoped she was wrong about her mother being the cause of the dreams, and that her night terrors were simply a result of her busy, conflicted mind.

After another moment of gathering herself, Ashi managed to stand and walk over to a barrel of water in the corner of the room. She dipped a ceramic cup into it and drank it slowly, trying to ignore the waning anxiety in her belly. When water didn't help enough, she hoped that fresh air might. She slipped on a pair of sandals that Jack had bought for her a few days ago, and walked from the porch down to the edge of the cliff. She peered over the side and could see Jack wading around in the water below. Jack noticed her immediately, and waved to her with a smile.

"I'll be up in just a moment!" He called up to her, and Ashi shook her head fondly. She wanted yell something back—maybe tell him that there was no rush, or to stop being so eager to please her—but his company was a welcome distraction, honestly. Ashi watched him awhile longer, until he had packed up a basket with his catches and was getting dressed, then she returned to the house again. He was such a simple man, it was still too bizarre to really process. She smiled while she regarded the past week of humble living with the Prince of Japan, and chuckled to herself at the ridiculousness of it—would any of the Daughters believe her if she could tell them now that Prince Shinjiro had made every meal that they had shared in this home by hand?

" _Unlikely_." Ashi mumbled to herself, and began filling the kettle with water. They wouldn't believe either, she thought, that she had made him tea several days in a row. _She_ could hardly believe it, and she was doing exactly that right now. She hung the kettle on the pothook and started to rekindle the fire from the buried embers of the night before. As she churned the white ash with a stick, the front door slid open and revealed a grinning Jack.

Jack looked her over and his eyes started to shine. Seeing her tending the fire reminded him of the few short weeks they had spent together recovering from the first battle with Aku. They had shared a tent in the camp of celebrating survivors, and back then, he had fantasized about having a life like this with her. Even though they would live in the palace if they were ever married, he couldn't help but romanticize the humble homes of the families in his mother's fairytales, and he couldn't help being charmed by the life he and Ashi had been leading the past week.

Ashi looked up to him with a smile, and his heart pittered excitedly. He _knew_ that the arrangement wouldn't be for long, but he wanted to pretend that they could keep living like this forever. He stepped into the house and set the basket of fish at the edge of the irori.

"Did you find anything interesting at the market?" Jack asked while he pulled a pot down from one of the chains hanging from the ceiling. Ashi quirked a brow at his smile, and shook her head incredulously at such a domestic question. She prodded the embers again, and managed to fan a flame to life on the new log. She added a few more pieces of wood the hearth, then straightened up and dusted off her hands.

"You mean besides produce?" Ashi squinted at him, and Jack gave a lopsided grin in reply to the teasing smile on her lips.

"Plenty of travelers pass through this valley—perhaps some have traded strange goods in town?" Jack offered and set the cauldron into the corner of the irori, nestling it sturdily into the ash. Ashi snorted and moved to gather up the package of vegetables she had brought home.

"I think _you're_ the strangest thing these villagers have seen in a while." She smirked and offered him a large bamboo shoot.

"Oh!" Jack beamed excitedly and took it from her. " _Takenoko_ … wonderful."

Ashi watched as he shucked the root's hard skin off, and shook her head again when he sliced its top off midair with a kitchen knife. Jack caught the prepped shoot in his hand like a ball, and looked to her curiously.

"What?" He questioned, but Ashi only chuckled and nabbed the bamboo from his hand. She stood and took a smaller pot from the ceiling and dropped the root inside, then walked to the water barrel and dipped the pot in.

"A prince excited by a bamboo shoot?" She teased, and watched the water spill into the pot. When it filled high enough, she lifted it up again and returned to the hearth. "Ridiculous."

Jack smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I forgot they were in season!" He smiled and dug his hand around in the vegetable basket again. He pulled out a large radish and began slicing it into the bigger pot. "When I was travelling, seasons hardly seemed to matter. I had to cook with whatever I could find—in fact, when I was in a strange jungle, I had found a root similar to this but _purple_ and…"

Ashi watched him babble a moment, then turned her attention to the basket again, half-listening while he went on about another odd adventure. As she sliced mushrooms, the peculiar, comforting sensation she had had for days now swirled in her chest. She didn't want to admit it at first, but she had learned to trust Jack. She still wasn't sure what to make of his tall tales, but his morality and values were excellent, in her opinion. This acceptance, however, only added more guilt to her conscience. With Jack's stories and the recounts of citizens about Aku's brutality, she could not fight it any longer; everything she knew about the demon was _wrong_. It was a gut-wrenching thing to accept, but it was painfully clear to her now that Aku was no more a savior of the people than the emperor was.

Her turmoil continued through lunch, which was simple, grilled fish. While they were cooking, Jack had asked her hopefully if she remembered spit-roasting a sizeable worm in the desert, but was again downtrodden when she had no such recollection, and was rather disgusted by the idea, too.

Now Ashi chewed half-heartedly while Jack finished adding spices to the boiling stew. His smile only burdened her spirit more, and she sighed under her breath. When Jack returned to the table, he noticed her troubled expression and was immediately concerned.

"Ashi?" He asked worriedly. She raised her head and made no attempt to hide the somber look in her eyes. She turned the skewer between her fingers, watching the half-eaten fish rotate back and forth, then set it down on her plate.

"Shinjiro…" She couldn't keep eye contact. "I'm sorry."

Jack blinked in surprise, unable to do anything else.

"I thought Aku was the Master of the Universe, and that he could do no wrong… but I realize now that that is not true." Ashi forced herself to look at him. "He hurt so many people—many that could not have been, nor could ever be, a threat to him. His power was infallible, yet he still relied on violence and fear to dominate the populace, and showed no mercy, not to even the most innocent of people."

Ashi's confession shocked Jack, but overwhelming relief soon followed. He smiled supportively, cheering internally that Ashi was finally seeing the truth. His delight was quickly tarnished.

"Aku allowed himself to fall into the same habits as the government before him. Just like the emperor, he let his underlings have too much unchecked power. They abused the citizens beneath them, and he did nothing." Ashi's additional thoughts on the matter soured Jack's mood quickly, and he furrowed his brows.

"No!" He raised his voice defensively, and Ashi was surprised to see him frowning at her. "Ashi, Aku and my father are not comparable in any way. Aku is _pure evil_ —there was never anything benevolent about him! He did not 'fall' into fearmongering and ignorance, he never cared at all!"

Ashi stared at him in disbelief, then scowled at him.

" _'Not comparable'?_ Of _course_ they are comparable!" She set her hands onto the table hard, but the gesture did nothing to rattle Jack.

"No, they are _not._ " He kept his voice firm. "Aku is a _demon_ , and my father was chosen to defeat him. His sword is forged with the purity of the human spirit, and _only_ the pure of heart can wield it—there is nothing more 'good' than him!"

Ashi glowered at him, and curled her nose angrily.

"If _his_ hands are 'pure', than perhaps I was too quick to judge Lord Aku." She growled at him, and Jack tilted back in insult.

"Ashi!" He breathed, aghast.

" _What?_ " She stood up and held her fists at her sides, glaring down at him sharply. "You expect me to forsake everything I was raised to know, but you cannot even _consider_ that your father is less than perfect!?"

"He is _good_." Jack bit out. Ashi sneered at him and tried to control her breathing, but so much anger was building up inside of her that she felt as though she might explode. She balled her fists tighter to contain the rage, and stormed away from the table and out the front door. Jack's irritation quickly dissolved, and he rushed after her.

"Ashi!" He stepped out onto the porch hurriedly, but she was gone. His heart sunk as he realized the severity of the argument, and he looked down the road and to the pink sky lofting over the tree line, hoping that he hadn't just ruined the relationship he had so carefully recultivated. Everything in his body was screaming at him to follow her, but he hoped that she just needed time to calm her fury, and would then return home.

* * *

Ashi hissed breath past her teeth angrily and heaved herself from branch to branch in the thick forest. Her rage stole away the years of stealth training she had undergone, and she shook leaves and twigs off of the wooden limbs that she bounded from. She gripped onto another branch and this time swung beneath it, landing finally at the base of a small tree. With tense shoulders and white knuckles, she tried again to calm herself, but it was useless—instead of relaxing, Ashi reared back and roared at the night sky, then hurled her fist into the tree before her. Just like the many other trees she had assaulted that night, the bark cracked and splintered away, littering the ground with forlorn wooden chips. She swung her opposite hand and took a painful chunk out of the meat of the tree, but the violence still didn't quell her anger. With a growl, she whipped her right leg up at a diagonal, and split the tree in two with a horrible, shuddering snap.

She watched the broken remains of branches and leaves crash onto the ground in front of her unapologetically. The calm of night returned slowly, and as the last of the leaves settled around the broken wood, their rustling was accompanied by a chorus of crickets and cicadas. The droning noise managed to settle Ashi's mind a moment, but the thought of Jack again burned her up inside. She glared in the direction of the house, which was a ridge away now, then continued trudging through the forest.

She felt like a complete _fool_. The past two weeks played through her mind bitterly, and every careful, kind, gentle thing that Jack had done that had previously softened her heart now only fueled her disgust. _How_ could she have trusted him, the _heir_ of that despicable regime? None of his caring was genuine, she told herself; it was just a shallow façade as she had always been told! Ashi stepped out into a clearing and found herself at a river, and realized that it let out over the mountain as the waterfall she and Jack had been watching for days. She blinked, momentarily distracted by the rushing water, and followed the bank to the edge of the cliff. With the moon illuminating the valley in a soft blue glow, she could see the thin dirt trail on the mountain opposite her, and the faint glow from the house perched on one of the mountain's cliffs.

The sight of the home hardened Ashi's chest again, and she glared at it a moment before turning away. She hopped over large boulders protruding from the water, and swiftly landed on the other side of the river. She looked in the direction of the house, and snorted at it, feeling as though the added barrier from the river was enough to distance herself from Jack for the night. Despite this additional measure, Ashi found herself creeping to the cliff's edge again. She kept low to the ground as she peered over the side, and watched like a tentative predator as the warm light inside the house grew dimmer and dimmer. Her eyelids drooped unhappily, and she tried to ignore the pleasant memories of the time she spent there.

Tonight, like many nights before her first encounter with Jack, she would be sleeping in the wilderness. She managed to swipe a small fish from the river and cooked it over a meager fire, doing her best to not think of the stew that should have been her dinner that night. After she was finished eating, she walked to the end of the cliff again, this time standing like a looming beacon beside the waterfall. The light inside the house was gone, and she breathed almost remorsefully at its darkened silhouette.

Sudden chills ran up her arms, standing the hairs up harshly as the sensation shot up to her cheeks. A glorious, powerful vision of a dragon broke from the water, thunderously shattering the twisting current into sprawling droplets all around its body. Ashi felt the air catch in her chest as she tried to process the beast's gleaming, blue scales, and the large fin-like protrusions fanning out from its head. She had never seen anything so large, and only had a few seconds to take in the majesty of it before her stomach dropped. She thought in horror that somehow she had toppled over the cliffside, and the familiar feeling of breathlessness that she got when plummeting from such a height choked her. A new set of goosebumps ran up her legs and arms, and when they finished their course up her body, the roaring sound of the waterfall filled her ears once more.

She stood, wide-eyed, staring down into the water below, and let her senses recover from whatever she had just experienced. Her eyes slowly regained their ability to move, and she looked around frantically, only to find that she was still indeed on the top of the mountain. Another moment passed, and she was aware of her heart pounding frantically in her throat, and then everything else; the sounds of the babbling water, rustling trees, and the forest's bugs faded back into her ears, and Ashi was unsure if they had actually stopped, or if she had just stopped hearing them. She stumbled back in fear and landed on her butt, then quickly pulled herself onto her knees and bowed her head in prayer with her hands pressed tightly in front of her mouth.

She thought that surely she had encountered another mythical creature, perhaps another forest spirit, even. She squeezed her eyes tighter, hoping the beast would not be there when she opened them again. Relief washed over her when she raised her head and saw nothing but the dark night sky and the valley below it. Ashi wearily decided to climb up a tree and try to get some sleep before anything more unfathomable happened.

* * *

Jack's eyes opened slowly, and his whole body felt heavy. His mind was immediately conscious of the fight between himself and Ashi the previous night, and he closed his eyes again sadly. He wasn't sure when he had actually fallen asleep; he only remembered waiting for even the faintest sound of her in or around the house late into the night. Jack realized suddenly that he didn't know how much time had passed since then, and he sat up hastily, hoping to see her sleeping in the bed opposite him. His heart lowered more at the sight of her untouched futon, and he sighed somberly.

"Ashi…" He mumbled to himself and got up from his bed. He folded up their bedding and stored it away, then walked to the front room. There was no sign that Ashi had been there either, and Jack frowned in worry. He tied his hair up and hoped to himself that she would come back today.

As the hours passed the night prior, he sat waiting for her, consumed with guilt. The argument replayed in his mind over and over, and he had spent hours trying to think of what he could have said differently, even second-guessed his upset from the implications made about his father. Couldn't he have just calmly corrected her? He kicked himself again for how he raised his voice to her; the thought of being angry with Ashi made him sick. Even if it was about his father, he never wanted to bicker with Ashi that way—she was his dearest ally, even now. Still, the thought of his father as anything but the savior of Japan _also_ made him ill.

Jack checked the cauldron and saw there was still a small amount of stew left inside. He sighed, having hoped that leaving her a serving would somehow will her to return. Despite his sick stomach, he finished off the rest of the food and then carted the pot down to the river to wash it. He saw no indication she had been near the home at all, and he tried to distract his saddened spirit with mundane chores. While he scrubbed the pot clean, he thought of everything that he and Ashi had gone through on this journey so far, and then everything that they had endured in Aku's future. Warm memories of her laugh, and of her gentle kisses whirled in his mind, and he had to blink away remorseful tears that dared to prick at his eyes. He hoped desperately that he hadn't ruined any chance of experiencing them again.

* * *

Ashi walked aimlessly around the now bright forest with a dull ache in her chest. She had awoken that morning to find that her rage was gone, and had been replaced by an unfamiliar feeling of genuine disappointment. A butterfly circled down the path beyond her and she snorted at its whimsical nature. She wished bitterly that her anger would return—it was much easier to deal with than harrowing emptiness. But no matter how much she reevaluated their fight, Ashi couldn't seem to kindle the same burning hatred for him that she had been able to for most of her life. Everywhere she looked she could see his jovial smile while he played with the village's children, and the real trust for her that he held in his eyes, and no matter what she told herself, she couldn't convince herself that his kind nature was a façade. She wanted so _badly_ for it to be, but nothing in her truly believed that.

She began to wonder if she had been too hasty in leaving the night before. If she had stayed longer, would he have calmed his anger about her accusations? She could understand unwavering loyalty better than anyone, and if _she_ could be swayed from her blind devotion to Aku, perhaps Jack could accept the truth about his father as well. The idea of making amends with Jack and life returning to 'normal' gave her a minute amount of comfort, but her heart still hung sadly in her chest.

It took until late that afternoon for her to realize that the sadness she felt was _remorse_ ; guilt for her own explosive temper in the face of his unpleasant, but calm, anger. Surely she had hurt him with her venomous comments, and that upset her more than anything. He had been nothing but patient and kind to her despite her animosity toward him; even if it was because of his insistence that she was a woman he had known from the 'future', she couldn't recall anyone in her life showing her that much kindness consistently. She found herself again at the river that she and Jack had spent a week living off of, and stared at the water solemnly. She looked upstream and could see the waterfall in the distance, and realized she had walked in a giant circle over two ridges. The house was in the same direction, and she hesitated about which way to go. Night was falling before she decided to return to the house.

* * *

Jack had made breakfast and lunch for two, and despite having the additional meals both to himself, was now preparing dinner for two as well. He prodded at one of the grilling fish fillets and sighed. He knew that continuing to make meals for them both when Ashi was clearly still angry with him was pathetic, but if she _did_ come back, he wanted to show her that she was still welcome, and that she hadn't left his thoughts all day. He made Ashi's plate first and set it on the table, then returned to the irori to make his own. As he set a fillet onto his dish, he heard the front door slide open, and looked up hurriedly.

Ashi stood in the door frame, looking at him with the same shocked expression that he was giving her. Jack blinked, mouth open, unsure of what to say. He had been mentally rehearsing how he would apologize in dozens of scenarios, but now that she was here, all of his words jumbled up in his mouth and he couldn't focus on what to say. For fear that she might get irritated with him if he didn't speak, he forced himself to say something.

"Dinner is… almost ready." He spoke with a small, nervous smile. Ashi's expression relaxed slightly, but she still watched him tentatively. She didn't know how to start the unavoidable conversation they needed to have either, and decided to accept his offer to prolong the inevitable. She removed her boots at the door, and stepped into the house. Jack grinned with more cautious optimism while he watched her walk across the room and sit at her usual spot at the table. He quickly finished making his plate and joined her there.

Before she could move for the teapot, Jack picked it up and offered the spout towards her passively. Ashi blinked in surprise from how fast he had snatched it up, but shrugged her shoulders and held her cup out for him to pour into. She watched the hot water fill her cup, and felt the anxiety in the room rising the longer they went without speaking.

"Thank you." She said softly and brought the tea to her lips.

"You're welcome." Jack replied just as quietly, and despite his smile, could feel the uneasy energy around them as well. Four words hardly dented the smothering feeling, and he cleared his throat nervously. They both started eating silently, and Jack watched her face hopefully. She didn't look angry anymore, but her eyes looked sad to him—the guilt was too much for him to stay quiet.

"Ashi, I… I apologize for my behavior last night." He bowed his head shamefully. When he raised it again, Ashi was looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite place. It made him even more nervous, but he continued anyway. "I didn't mean to raise my voice like that. I don't ever want to argue with you in such an ugly way."

Ashi watched him unsurely. He was apologizing for 'raising his voice' at her when _she_ was the one that had screamed at him; his insistent humility left her confused and humbled. This wasn't the kind of situation she was used to. When she would misstep at the temple, her mother or the Daughters would be quick to tell her what she had done wrong, and deal out a punishment just as swiftly—having to use words alone to atone for her wrongdoings made her feel small and vulnerable.

"I apologize as well." She spoke finally, and the two stared at each other apprehensively. Ashi looked away first and tried to think if there was anything more substantial she could add. "…I did not mean to insult you."

Her apology brightened Jack's mood, and he eagerly assured her he was alright. They returned to eating, but the reconciling did little to relax Ashi's worries. The idea that he could be so purposefully ignorant about his father was disturbing, and she had to be sure his defensiveness was a combination of bad timing and her own poor choice of words.

"Shinjiro." Ashi bit at her lip uneasily. Her tone worried Jack right away.

"Yes?" The gentleness in his voice made Ashi's stomach clench, but she forced herself to continue.

"…I understand that my tone last night was… _accusatory_ , but, you _must_ know that… your father…" She trailed off, hoping that Jack would acknowledge that he understood before she finished explaining. Jack exhaled to try and calm himself, but the end of his sigh rumbled in the back of his throat.

"Ashi, I do not want to talk about this." He spoke with as much patience as he could muster, and tried to go back to eating. His quick dismissal made Ashi feel even sicker.

"You _must_ talk about this, Shinjiro. I wouldn't _lie_ to you—" Her voice was almost pleading.

"— _Please_." Jack looked up at her with a frown; not out of anger, but of discomfort. Ashi stared at him and felt her heart thud in disappointment once again. She didn't know what his refusal to listen truly meant, but she knew at least that it made him decisively ignorant. Jack watched her eyes glisten over with a look of utter betrayal, and bent his eyebrows up in concern. Ashi stood up calmly, never looking away from him.

"I thought you were different." The statement was spoken so straightforwardly that it gave Jack goosebumps. He was half-expecting her to hiss and yell at him again, but instead her calm words chilled him. "I really believed, for just a short time, that you would be an ally to the less fortunate; that you meant what you told me in the forest, about wanting to prevent 'lower-class' citizens from being abused again. But you're just a _fool_."

Her eyes winced painfully, and Jack felt his heart sinking into his gut, though he was unable to form any words to rebut.

"You're so satisfied to live blindly—so caught up in the fantastic stories of your father, that you would defend him in the face of a living, breathing victim of his tyranny." Ashi tried to remain straight-faced, but Jack could see the hurt welling behind her glare.

"Ashi…" He whispered in saddened awe.

"I don't want your excuses. You're just pawn." She hesitated a moment and looked him over once more, trying her best to see him as a villain, but was only able to see the man she had allowed herself to trust so dearly. Her expression saddened again, to a look of pity. "You disgust me."

Her voice was so sad, Jack couldn't bring himself to reply, nor could he bring himself to follow her when she again left the house and disappeared into the dark night.

* * *

 **AN:**

This was an ANGST TRAIN! And it got really long (5k)… oh well. It took forever to get all this sad out, it might as well be a giant angst-burger, right?

I feel like I'm pushing this _~ohh evil government~_ thing kind of hard, but I guess it takes the place of "Samurai Jack" in this world; future!Daughters were raised to hate just Jack, but feudal!Ashi was raised to hate Jack because he's an extension of the emperor… if that makes sense ^^;

The memory flashes were fun this chapter... they're getting stronger, aren't they? Too bad Jack doesn't know that! ;3

Next chapter will hopefully be a lot quicker to get out, and a lot less wordy! (or would you guys prefer wordy...?) Then we can get into the really good stuff [muahaha]

As always, thank you everyone for reviewing! I reread everyone's reviews all the time… it really warms me up! uwu


	9. IX

Jack sat behind the house on a rock that overlooked the river and forest beyond. His legs were crossed and he had been trying desperately to meditate since the early twilight hours, but was realizing that he did not currently have the willpower to quiet his troubled mind. His tired eyes creaked open for what seemed like the hundredth time, and Jack shook his head with a sigh. He allowed his posture to slouch in defeat, and watched the wind ripple over the treetops that stretched on for miles. Nature's beauty did not relax him either.

Since Ashi walked out the night before, he couldn't rid himself of the debilitating guilt her expression had left him with. Doubt had begun swirling in his mind the longer he was alone, and now he couldn't decide for himself what was the truth anymore. He couldn't stop thinking about what she had said; _"A living, breathing victim of his tyranny"_ … Could it be true? Jack couldn't stop his stomach from wrenching at the idea that Ashi— _this_ Ashi—was truly a different person, and that all this time he had been pressuring her to remember a life she was never a part of.

All along she had been trying to tell him that she had been victimized by his father's men, and he had brushed the stories off, thinking it more likely that she had been brainwashed into believing such horrible things. It was hard to imagine that his father would let such terrible people rule his land, and he still wanted to believe that his father was unaware of their actions, but his heart swelled with sadness each time he thought about it; _how_ could he not know? Jack had always seen his father as an unreachable good, like he held more wisdom and righteousness than he himself could ever hope to achieve. Sixty some odd years apart could not dent that image of him, and yet now, everything came into question.

He looked to the sky, hoping for some guidance. Ashi's words haunted him again; was he _really_ simply blind to his father's faults? His only clear memories of him were from his childhood. It was normal, he thought, to see your father as a being greater than any good when you're that young—but he _was_ great! He had defeated Aku, the greatest evil the world had ever known, singlehandedly! Jack's eyebrows lowered sadly and he scrubbed a hand against his head, trying to brush away his doubts, to no avail.

* * *

The sound of other inn patrons roused Ashi from her sleep early that morning. She blinked awake, and was reminded of the previous night when she noticed the blanket bunched around her fist was white with thick threading, and not the well-sewn green quilt Jack had purchased for her on their first night in the village. Her eyes saddened, but she fought back the sorrow with bitter, pursed lips. Weary spite fueled her, she managed to get up and dress herself.

She walked from her rented room to the front of the inn, and was greeted by the same woman that had offered her a free night's stay.

"Hello, dear!" The woman smiled at her. "Are you rested? Do you think Prince Shinjiro has returned to the house yet?"

Ashi managed a weak, awkward smile. She had forgotten about that 'white lie' she had told the owner as an excuse for why she wasn't sleeping at the house.

"Oh—yes, yes, thank you. I'm sure he's there now…" She looked out the inn's open door and toward the mountain the house resided behind.

"It's not a problem, my lady. Any friend of the prince is welcome here." The woman chuckled and Ashi forced another smile. The title of 'friend' made her breath snag in the back of her throat.

"Thank you, again." Ashi bowed her head, then looked to the inn's open door once more. Far past the bustling shoppers and merchants, she could see the path that lead to the house, and cursed herself for being drawn to it. With some reluctance, she bid the innkeeper goodbye and started her walk back around the mountain.

She wanted to beat her own head in with each step she took toward the house, but her feet continued their dutiful march down the dirt road. There was _nothing_ redeemable about him anymore, she reminded herself.

" _He doesn't care about anyone that opposes his father—not even_ _ **you**_." She thought to herself bitterly, then stopped abruptly. The house was in view now, and she stared at it sadly. She couldn't bring herself to believe what was so clearly true; how many times could he refuse to listen before she accepted he was just a sheep? A very loyal, sweet, humble, righteous sheep.

Ashi hung her head and groaned dejectedly in the back of her throat. She didn't want to be away from him. She wanted to go back to the house— _their_ house—and do whatever mundane, charming thing he wanted to do today. It was disgusting, she thought, but that's what she wanted. She breathed in slowly, and dragged her boot across the gravel gingerly.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" She asked a lone rock on the ground. It didn't answer, of course, and she raised her head again to look over the expansive forest. The breeze rustled her hair, and she tried to remember what it was like to hate Jack. The only memories that came to her were of his kind, albeit odd, nature, and her stare softened. Despite herself, she wanted to think that maybe with more time, he could grow to be comfortable with speaking about his father in a less than positive light. He had been patient with her, perhaps if she was more patient with him, their relationship could be salvaged.

She hesitated a moment, then continued toward the house.

* * *

The last stretch of road felt like it dragged on forever, but Ashi finally found herself on the porch of the house. She breathed in slowly, and took the moment to remind herself to be _patient_. Her ferocity had been a valuable asset when she was scraping her way through life in her mother's regime, but was apparently detrimental for sensitive topics, like talking about your feelings.

Another calming breath, and she slid the door open. She stepped inside, not minding her boots this time, and was startled to see Jack sitting in the main room. He turned his attention to her in surprise, and upon seeing it was her, relaxed his expression into something gloomier. His sad eyes moved to the back window again, and he stared out it listlessly. Ashi bit at her lip, unsure if he was upset with _her_ , or just the situation in general. She took a few steps closer to him, only to stand awkwardly some feet away, holding her arms for comfort.

"…Shinjiro?" She wanted to say something more considerable, but that was all she could muster. Jack didn't look away from the window, and his continued silence made the room heavy.

"…Do you remember anything? Anything at all from what I've told you?" He spoke finally, keeping his voice low. Ashi frowned in concern at the emptiness in his voice.

"No." She replied just as softly, almost in remorse. Jack winced his eyes before closing them and shaking his head gently. She could hear him sigh through his nose, and she wished that her answers didn't always hurt him so much.

Jack continued watching the sky, and let his spirit truly sink with the reaffirmation that still she held no memories of their former relationship. His eyebrows lowered more as he tried to accept what he promised himself that he would; that when she returned, if she still had no recollection of their 'past', that he would then have to accept he was so _horribly_ wrong.

He had spent hours now contemplating what a fool he had been if it was true. How he had acted like a smitten idiot, and how uncomfortable he must have made her with his actions. Guilt overtook him, and he couldn't help but berate himself for dismissing her again and again—even though he had taken her accusations and stories seriously after some time, it was always with the idea that _surely_ she was still mistaken in some aspects. _Surely_ her _subjection_ was a mistake.

His own thoughts made him sick, and he stood up abruptly. When he turned to Ashi, she was surprised to see his expression so serious. Jack's eyes saddened a moment while he looked her over. He couldn't believe that the woman he loved more than anything was right there in front of him, and yet, she wasn't. He couldn't believe that she could be the same in every way he could remember—appearance, fighting style, voice, morals—and yet, she was not the woman he knew. It hurt his heart to look her in the eyes, and he dropped his vision to the floor.

"Ashi, I'm… so sorry." He spoke slowly, and Ashi was surprised to hear him apologizing so readily. Jack forced himself to look at her. "I've made such a fool of myself."

He bowed at the waist, and she felt uneasy from the formality of the gesture. Jack straightened up again to speak.

"I apologize for dismissing your claims. I… I just wanted this so badly." He watched her eyes, and had to close his own to keep his feelings from overwhelming him. "I've acted so selfishly, and you, an innocent woman, paid for my ignorance."

Ashi's breath hitched in surprise. He was accepting now that she wasn't this 'future' woman?

"You're just… _so much_ like her. You are _exactly_ like her. You are fierce, and powerful, and wonderful… beautiful…" He trailed off, then looked to her again. "But you are not her."

The statement filled Ashi with an unexpected level of sadness. She had been nervous that Jack was only interested in her because he was convinced that she was connected to this other woman. She worried that now he had no interest in her at all. Jack stepped forward again, and she looked up to him expectantly.

"I'm sorry I brought you here." He sighed and shook his head. Ashi frowned and sucked on the back of her lip in concern.

"Please, don't be." Her response made him look at her again, and she tried to smile reassuringly. "This place is so beautiful. I've… truly enjoyed the time we've spent here."

Jack smiled at that, but despite his cheeks tinging pink, Ashi could still see an amount of sadness in his eyes.

"I'm so happy to hear that." Jack nodded off toward nothing, smiling more. He inhaled and pursed his lips, then sighed, trying to focus himself on the task at hand. When he turned to her again, his expression had hardened. "…But this was a mistake."

Ashi didn't like that word, "mistake". She wanted to protest, to interrupt and yell at him, and tell him that she was sorry too, and that she was tired of this prolonged dispute, but she held her tongue.

"I made you travel all this way, hoping that you would regain memories that are just… not there." He spoke deliberately. "I refused to listen to you, and stole you away up on this mountain. But I will no longer force you to stay here with me, or follow me anywhere."

They stared at each other, both unsure of how his statement made them feel. Ashi only looked at him sadly, and Jack couldn't stand the silence.

"I'm returning to home." He stated, and Ashi felt the weight of his previous comment finally land on her; he was really leaving her. Jack noticed the turmoil behind her gaze, and he stepped forward, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I _must_. I need to speak to my father."

"Your father?" She asked quietly, forgetting for a moment the reason for their fight.

"Yes." Jack replied somberly. "I will speak to him about your accusations—I _must_ hear his reasoning."

"You think he will tell you the truth?" Her question sounded genuine instead of the accusatory tone he had grown accustomed to.

"…I will not take his word alone for the truth." He looked away cautiously, and Ashi frowned in discomfort. This was exactly what she wanted to hear, but seeing the faith in his family broken in his eyes upset her more than she could have imagined. She had never seen Jack so shaken, and had the strong urge to console and protect him. Her arms wanted to fling around him in a hug, and squeeze ever last bit of pain out of him, but she resisted.

"I wish I had the answers you're searching for." Ashi spoke in remorse, about this missing woman, but Jack only shook his head.

"I simply did not want to accept the answers I was being given." He raised his eyes to look at her again. The way she was looking at him made him want to hold her too, but he couldn't bring himself to be so selfish. Instead, he reached out again and took her hand in his.

"Ashi, if you ever need anything, please see me as your friend." Jack gave her a sad smile. "If you need assistance in any way, with anything, _especially_ if you see injustices going unpunished, please reach out to me. I will do everything in my power to aid you and your cause."

Even with her stomach sinking at the inevitable loss of him, Ashi felt her cheeks warm at his sincerity. She squeezed his hand and nodded.

"Thank you, Shinjiro." She smiled back at him, and Jack couldn't stop his grin from growing. He sighed and slipped his hand from her fingers slowly.

"And, um, please… feel free to keep your horse." His smile slanted awkwardly, and Ashi furrowed her brows while she tried to smile back.

Her heart had steadily started thudding louder in her ears the longer he spoke, in fear that he was truly leaving. Now it was inevitable, and she stood unmoving, unable to decide what to do. There was no reason to ask him to stay besides that she _wanted_ him to, and that was a ridiculous excuse, in her opinion. He _should_ leave back to the capital, and she _should_ be happy that he was accepting the truth about his father—instead, every fiber of her being wanted to beg him to let her follow him. Her own desperation repulsed her, and she looked away shamefully. Jack frowned at that, but nodded his head understandingly, assuming that the offer of a horse was hardly apology enough.

"—And please, stay here as long as you like. It is rented for the next few weeks, after all…" He tried to look at her, but her expression hurt his heart. He breathed in steadily to try and ground himself, then straightened up and bowed his head to her formally. They stared at each other in silence again until Jack finally had the courage to step past her and walk out of the house.

He entered the stable and patted his horse unhappily, and his steed responded with a comforting _huff_ against his hair. Jack lead his horse out of the building before saddling him, and looked to the house again from atop his mount. Ashi was in the doorway watching him, and he felt his stomach sink lower. He knew this was what needed to be done, but parting with her was torturous. With another bout of courage, he guided the horse closer to the house.

"Goodbye." He spoke to her softly. Ashi hugged her arms tighter and winced at his gentle, decided tone.

"Goodbye, samurai." She replied, and Jack nodded at her. His shoulders slumped a moment, but he rolled them out and sat up straight once more, then set out down the road. Ashi watched him until he disappeared behind the bend of the mountain.

* * *

Jack rode through the main street of Kyoto slowly, and forced a small smile for the happy citizens delighted to see him returning. He had been traveling miserably for a week through the areas he and Ashi had already visited, and it wore him down to be reminded of their journey so intimately. Against his own judgement, he thought about her constantly. Day and night he wondered where she was, and what she was doing. Was she still at the house? Had she left immediately? What was she eating—who was she with?

His mind imagined answers to his questions, and the fantasies tormented him. He wanted to _be_ there. He wanted to be the one making her dinner, and to know she was safe and sound, sleeping mere feet away from him. But he knew he had more pressing matters, and continued on until he arrived at the palace steps. The castle loomed over him as a reminder of the immensity of what he needed to do.

As he had passed through villages, he asked citizens if they lived, or remembered anyone that lived, in deplorable conditions before Aku came to power. Many had no such recollection, but some older residents told stories of family and friends that had lived further north, and struggled to survive beneath their respective shogun. The information was devastating, and he needed now more than ever to speak to his father. He prayed desperately that a reasonable explanation could exist, but his mind was horribly pessimistic anymore.

A stablehand greeted him and eagerly asked him about his travels, and what had happened to his assassin. He seemed to regret the questions when he noticed Jack's sullen face, but Jack was quick to assure him his apologies were unnecessary. He left his horse with the worker, and started the long walk to his father's chambers.

The empress greeted him with happy relief as he reached the second level of the palace. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, but became concerned from the somber way he returned the gesture.

"Shinjiro?" She asked, worried now. Both her and her husband feared that this assassin, whether she was the woman he knew or not, would prove too hostile, and would force Jack to attack or even kill her. Jack looked at the concern in his mother's eyes and knew what she was asking. He shook his head 'no'.

"We parted ways." He murmured. "She _is_ Ashi, but… she is not the Ashi I knew."

He lowered his head sadly, and the empress pressed a comforting hand to his cheek.

"She is evil…?" She guessed, but Jack again shook his head.

"No, she is _wonderful_." For a moment he smiled, remembering the best moments of their recent journey, but quickly dropped his expression again. "She is everything I remember… but she is of _this_ time. I do not know how it is possible, but she is not from Aku's future. My efforts to rekindle her memories were fruitless—she _has_ no memories to regain."

His posture dropped lower, and the empress wrapped her arms around his shoulders in another embrace. Jack felt his eyes start to water from his mother's compassion, and had to pull away to keep himself from crying. He couldn't let disappointment or bitterness overcome him just yet.

"I must speak to father." His voice was sure, but the empress was again concerned, this time by the odd graveness in his tone. Despite her worry, she only nodded, and informed him that the emperor was reading in one of the meeting rooms.

Jack continued up another few floors of the palace, then reached the room his father normally favored. He slid the door open, and saw the emperor sitting at the front of the room, looking over a large scroll that was laid out in front of him. He smiled when he noticed his son, and Jack smiled out of habit at seeing his father looking so peaceful. His chest ached in spite of his smile, and he closed the door before hurriedly taking a seat before the emperor.

"Hello, my son." His smile continued. "You have returned from your journey?"

"Yes, father." Jack replied as duly as ever, and bowed his forehead to the ground in respect.

"And what is the fate of your companion…?" The emperor asked uneasily. Jack tensed and squeezed his eyes shut. There was no going back after this, and he had to muster all of his strength to raise himself back into a seated position.

"She is not Ashi. Not as I knew her, anyway." He hung his head, and the emperor nodded almost knowingly. Jack's jaw trembled a moment, fearful of the unknown, but he pushed forward.

"Father," He spoke again, looking to the emperor almost desperately. "Ashi spoke of… of _atrocities_ committed by noble men against the lower classes. She told me stories of women having to prostitute themselves to survive—of farmers starving, having to sell all of the food they produce just to keep their homes."

The emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise at the sudden change of topic, but Jack's stare only grew more distressed.

" _Please_ —is this _true_ father? Even before Aku seized control over our home? Were our citizens living in fear, and nothing was done to help them?" His eyes bend up sadly, his voice almost frantic as he finally spoke the allegations out loud. The emperor watched his son pressing his mouth shut to keep from pleading that it wasn't so. He shook his head with a deep sigh, and placed his hands onto his knees for support.

"Shinjiro," The emperor hesitated, trying to remember a time decades past. "…if such disgraceful actions were taking place, I had no knowledge of them."

Jack allowed his jaw to relax more, mouth opened while he absorbed in his father's words.

"…I am ashamed to say that I cannot confirm or deny these claims firsthand." He looked to Jack sadly. "After Aku's first attack, I did not travel farther than Edo. Rebuilding our home was my first priority, and I entrusted governing of the northern and southern territories to my most dependable generals. The only information I had on those regions was what my shoguns told me."

His father's explanation twisted Jack's gut into knots, and his eyes darted across the ground while he tried to accept it. His fingers flattened against the polished wood floor, and dragged across the planks as they curled back into his palm. He took a shaky breath in and dug his nails into the center of his hand.

"I am sorry, my son." The emperor shook his head, heavy with guilt. "I have heard such stories before, amongst the prisoners in Aku's slave camps. I should have been more vigilant."

Jack tried to swallow, but found the action difficult. He sucked on the inside of his cheek, doing his best to not tremble with grief. His father was not _evil_ for this, he was not even _bad_ ; he hadn't known, just as he suspected. But the gravity of such a disastrous misstep in governing couldn't be ignored, and the perfect image of his father would be forever tainted. He was no all-knowing being, he was just a man; wise, but not impervious to error.

His heart couldn't accept that quietly, and he had to quickly excuse himself from the room. Jack ran to the nearest balcony, and jumped the remaining stories to his bedroom. The moment he stepped inside, he collapsed to his knees in anguish.

The disappointment of again 'losing' Ashi, the humiliation of his own actions, and now the shattered idea of father was too much for him to bear, and he sobbed tearlessly. He raised his head after a moment, and saw the room was immaculate again, rather than the dismantled state he had last seen it in many weeks ago. He almost wished the chaos of his fight with Ashi still remained, in a delusional need for familiarity. This room held no sign of her; it was as if the meeting never happened.

That thought finally made his eyes begin to burn with tears. He had been so _hopeful_ , so absolutely convinced that she had returned to him—what a _fool_ he had been. All of the optimism he had grown over the past month was ripped away from him, and he felt like his arms might give out from violence of the feeling. His breath hiccupped, and he let bitter tears drip down past his chin.

His chest tightened, thinking of Ashi once more. He had been able to see her smile, and hear her laugh again. He had gotten to fight by her side, and show her, once again, that Aku was evil, not benevolent—but _why?_ Were the Gods offering him one last glimpse of her, or were they simply mocking him? Another test of faith, perhaps? The universe seemed to adore putting him through soul-wrenching tests of his inner strength, after all.

Jack raised his head, and tried to think more positively, if only meagerly so. Ashi had showed him a side of his country that he had been blind to his entire life, and surely this would guarantee he would not have the same oversights as his father when he took the throne. His gratefulness only made his heart thud miserably in his chest. He would _never_ be with her again, and he refused to even entertain the idea of pursuing _this_ Ashi. How fair would it be to her, with her own individuality already dismissed by him many times, to be romanced solely because she resembled his lost love? It was an insult to her.

He sluggishly made his way to his bed and collapsed across it. Unsure of what else to do, he decided to wallow in self-pity, and maybe eventually he would be able to fall asleep. He prayed that if he did, he would not dream of Ashi this time.

* * *

 **AN:**

SOBS! **No!** Our lovers are separated again! This is _bogus!_

Sorry this update took a while, writing TWO sad chapters in a row was taxing. But finally it's done, and we can move onto the GOOD SHIT in Chapter 10! WOO! :D

And finally we know that the emperor is just… a man. LOL But such a hard thing to accept when he's been your moral compass for sixty-some years, no?

Thank you everyone that's reviewed in my extra week of absence, and the reviewers that pop up mere HOURS after I post chapters, (and everyone in between!), you're all amazing! ;v;

I'm literally soooo excited to write the next chapter, it's going to be great (and not sad!). Hope you all enjoyed this second helping of angst, and if not, I hope you'll be patient enough to see the happy next chapter!


	10. X

Dim lights started to fill her field of vision, and the ground rumbled along with the distant thumping deeper inside the darkness. The lights floated aimlessly in the black atmosphere like large orbs of pollen, then pulsed with more life the louder the thudding got. Ashi winced, aware that this was another dream, but was again unable to do anything but watch and wait for what came next. More forms started to glow in the darkness and then, like ripping fabric, the blackness tore away and a scene took shape from nothing.

The lights, once vague and pale, now shone brightly in outstanding colors, and darted across the dark sky like crepuscular rays of painted sunlight. Before her stood hundreds of people—at least, she assumed _some_ were people. Others looked like demons, with skin dyed vibrant hues, and others having multiple eyes or limbs. All wore bizarre clothing, and gyrated in chaotic unison to the deafening sound blasting over the field. She couldn't understand if it was ritualistic or in celebration, but the answer didn't seem to affect what came next. As she expected, the music quieted, and the beings seemed to merge into one wave as they signaled something with their hands. It was the letter "S", though the glyph's meaning was lost on Ashi.

Then the woman's voice came. The crowd seemed to fade away as blinding light washed over her, and the only sound she could hear was her speaking one word; "samurai".

The way her voice carried the word gave Ashi shivers. It made it sound so gentle, almost religiously pure, and it reverberated through her body as she repeated it over and over.

" _We will never forget you."_

The phrase chilled her again, but it was more because she now knew what came after. Without warning the light flew away from her, and she found herself again in the dark. Vague outlines glowed with a green hue around her, but she didn't have the attention for them. What she focused on instead was the figure of a very disheveled man that knelt in the brightest of the sickly green light. It was Jack; she could tell even with his unkept hair and ragged beard.

This time, he lifted his head to look at her, but his gaze was almost unrecognizable. There was a darkness to it she had never seen, not even when he was simmering with anger. The cold shading across his face was not that of contempt, it was of… _nothing_. There was _nothing_ in his eyes. His stare seemed to pierce her skin and enter into her very core, leading tendrils of dread through her entire body. It was almost longing, begging her for something, but Ashi couldn't understand what. She wanted to call out to him, or run to him and aid him in some way, but she could only stand frozen.

His mouth parted, and an imposing, grim voice rang out, but it was not his.

" _The_ _ **End**_ _."_

Ashi shot awake, eyes wide, and flung herself forward and towards were Jack should have been. Her hands landed on the mat floor of the room, and her knees buried into the rolls of her comforter, and she realized in anguish that he was not there. She collapsed onto her hip and held her face, cursing herself for letting what she knew was a dream affect her so intensely, _again_. Despite her angry attempts to shame her body to be calm, her arms trembled with fear, and her stomach still hung horribly low inside her middle.

The dreams were every night now.

She hugged her chest, trying to soothe herself, but the upset and confusion from her torturous night terrors only fueled her distress further. Each time, the emotions she felt rattled her completely through, and she woke breathless, with an inconsolable body and mind. The dread was absolutely all-consuming, and she felt like every second that she wasn't running to Jack's side was a second that his life could slip away. Minutes passed, but her mind still fixated on the image of Jack, worn and beaten.

Ashi screwed her eyes shut, refusing to indulge her brain's fantasies. She turned and crawled over her bed and to the small chest her hosts had provided her with her room. Inside sat the only valuables she had, the most luxurious of all being Jack's silk, drawstring wallet. Her eyes winced sadly, remembering when she found it sitting on top of the neatly folded stack of bedding in the cottage's bedroom. He had obviously left it for her, still filled with all of the money that he had brought for their trip. One last gift, she assumed.

With wistful eyes, she cradled the wallet out of the box like an injured bird, then returned to her futon. She laid on her back with the pouch held delicately to her chest and sighed. She felt stupid, being so sentimental about a _wallet_ , but it was the only possession of his that she had. Her fingers picked at the ties that strung the bag closed while she focused on calming her nerves.

It had been a month since they had parted ways. She couldn't bring herself to stay in the home that he had rented for them, so she had instead continued through the river valley, rather than follow their previously forged path back to Kyoto. Eventually, she found work for a family that was shorthanded 'until more of their children returned home'. They had been separated over a decade ago, with half of their family being taken to Aku's northern slave encampments. The remaining members spoke confidently about their missing relatives returning, but Ashi could see a deep sadness behind their eyes, though she chose not to mention so. She knew the northern camps were violent—they had been near the Temple.

She shook her head clear, refusing to think about that place tonight. Her attention wandered back to Jack, and concern for him brewed in her stomach unhappily. Something inside of her told her that he was in grave danger, but she didn't know from what, or if that was even true. Logic screamed that she was just having nightmares, but she had never in her life had dreams that reoccurred several nights in a row. Was it a premonition? Was his life truly in jeopardy?

Ashi knew that her mother would not rest until Jack had paid for destroying Aku, but she doubted any of the other Daughters would be able to defeat him. If Jack had not held back against her, thinking that she was that 'future' woman, he would have been able to kill her, she was sure of that. Still, her mind wandered to other, darker ideas. The last time she saw him, he was heartbroken about the loss of his lover, and if his father was _anything_ like he described, he would tell him the truth about what Jack was so clearly unaware of. Would that be enough to push a man to end his own life? He mentioned 'losing his way' before…

The image of him, haggard, with his once jovial spirit so clearly shattered, haunted her again. It made her arms want to lurch forward—for her legs to run to him, and for her body to fling itself against his, so she could shield him from whatever was plaguing him. The desire burned her alive from the inside. She _needed_ to _save_ him, but she only chastised herself; save him from _what?_ He was not in _danger_ , it was just a nightmare, nothing more.

Her eyebrows bent up uncertainly, and she squeezed his wallet tighter, feeling it's content shift beneath her fingers. She needed to sleep, work on the property started at sunrise.

* * *

Dinner with her host family was warm and lively, but it was hardly a distraction for her mind as night fell. The darkness only signaled the ranch's rapidly approaching 'bed time', and the idea of another night struggling through confusing, horrific dreams did not instill any desire for sleep in her. But her muscles were sore from chores, and as she laid in her bed unmoving, her body urged her to try and rest. Despite her worries, Ashi's eyes began to droop, and in the late hours of that night, her mind finally eased enough to sleep.

As she predicted, the same dream repeated itself. Like before, the mass of creatures swayed and thrust to the thundering sound, and the woman's voice came to her, drawing out the title of the man Ashi's heart ached to hear from. And again, her body dropped into an abysmal, dark scene. This time it felt like she actually hit the floor. Her body slumped to the ground unceremoniously, and the weight of the atmosphere around her made it difficult for her to stand again.

The ill-lighting shone brighter to her side, and she turned her head, expecting to see Jack again. He was there, as nude and haggard as always, but his position was different now. He knelt onto the ground, sitting on his heels, with a blade laid out before him. She could not see who was behind him, but the glint of a sword caught her eye to the left of his head.

She knew his position was that of seppuku, "honorable suicide", and could only watch in horror as he reached for the wakizashi short-sword in front of him. He brought the sword up high above his head, and anxiety swirled in her stomach faster than ever before. She feared that this was what the dreams were warning her of, and began to panic that she was watching it happen, somehow, in her dreams as the deed was carried out somewhere far away from her sleeping body. She begged the gods that somehow she would be able to reach out to him this time.

But her legs seemed to carry her nowhere, and her voice died long before it could reach him. She could feel her blood pulsing in fear and her skin begin to sweat—she couldn't stop him. She couldn't _protect_ him. She didn't question why his safety was so imperative, or why the anxiety in response to his possible death was so overwhelmingly powerful. Instead, she only struggled to reach him more desperately, but her body felt as though she had no energy left. Ashi could see his brow begin to sweat as well, and his body tremble as he tried to summon the courage to bring the blade down. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, and Ashi felt her own water in response. It was _hopeless_ —she was helpless to stop him.

His arms heaved forward, but before the sword could connect, Ashi gasped awake. Her body seized a moment while her mind tried to figure out what to do. The weight of her own ribs seemed to be suffocating her, and she rolled onto her side hurriedly and propped herself up by her elbow. She gasped in air, rocking forward and shivering from the force of each inhale. A bead of sweat rolled down her jaw, and the movement distracted her from her distress for a moment. She brought a hand up and wiped at her face, then rubbed her eyes in frustration at the stinging sensation of tears still lingering from her nightmare. Her body slumped more, and she tensed in grieving anger with both forearms against her futon.

She cursed her dreams, and she cursed whatever force was doing this to her. What on Earth was happening? Would she ever get a single night's peace again?

Another wave of anxiety rolled through her, and Ashi felt as though she might be sick. She lowered back into her bed and curled up tight, bunching her comforter around her as though it could protect her from the torment. But her mind still screamed the same thing inside her makeshift refuge.

" _Find him_." It said. " _You must find him_."

Logic couldn't argue against her paranoia tonight, and she threw the comforter off. Her body seemed to move on its own, stripping and redressing into her new, more colorful clothes that she had acquired since her time with Jack.

She pulled on a striped pair of monpe trousers, and bound the already narrowed pant legs to her calves tight with her old wrappings. Her old white kosode hid beneath her new green, dotted one as she secured it around her waist with an obi. She loaded the rest of her belongings into the satchel she brought with her, but slowed her frantic packing when she caught sight of Jack's wallet that she previously set aside on the floor. She again cupped the coin purse carefully in her hand and stared at it, determined. She vowed to herself to find its owner before something terrible could happen to him. She stowed the wallet safely away beneath the coat Jack had bought for her, and secured the satchel tight, then grabbed her boots and exited the bedroom. She had been given a pair of sandals by her hosts, but decided her tabi boots would be more versatile in her journey back to Kyoto.

Ashi hurried as quickly as she could, her trained steps leaving not a sound as she made her way to the front room. She was startled to see the matriarch of the household sitting at the irori. The woman turned to her and smiled sadly.

"You're finally going to go find him?" She asked quietly. Ashi blinked in surprise.

"What?" She whispered back.

"I can hear you crying for him at night." The woman said, smiling more. Ashi felt embarrassment bubble in her chest, but the woman only shook her head. "Go and find him, this 'samurai'."

Ashi's cheeks warmed from the woman's continued support for her. She bowed her head in thanks.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here. You and your family are truly kind—and I apologize for leaving so abruptly."

"There is no need to thank us, you have done nothing but help us since you arrived." The woman nodded her head toward her, and Ashi felt a more heroic version of her previous anxiety start to fill her. These good people were free because of _him_. They were home, and even after suffering so much, would still extend a hand to a strange woman clad in black. These were the people he sacrificed so much to save, and if he now needed someone to save him, he deserved that a hundredfold. She felt more compelled than ever to find him, and to protect him, to ensure that no more harm could come to someone as benevolent as he was.

She left to the barn to rouse her horse, the same black mare Jack had given her, and heaved herself onto its saddle. Her heart beat with determination—she had to find him.

"I _must_ find him." She whispered to herself, and set off rapidly into the dark toward the capital.

* * *

Her first stop wasn't until that afternoon. She passed through a small village, and decided it would be beneficial for both her and her steed to rest, despite her desperate need to continue onward. She left her horse in a stable at the front of the town, then wandered almost aimlessly through the streets until she finally settled on a humble teahouse. Ashi stepped into the main room and looked at the painted walls with little interest. Some of the décor seemed to be very old, which contrasted oddly with the new tatami floor and furniture—no doubt the work of the government's revitalization efforts. A small, old woman approached Ashi and reeled her in from her senseless thoughts.

She let the woman lead her to a small table, and tried to focus on relaxing awhile. She ordered a small serving of tea, and some sesame cookies to chew on, paying for them as discretely as possible. Paranoia still picked at the back of her brain, and she worried that if someone was to see Jack's expensive wallet that she would garner too much attention. The more unassuming her demeanor, the better; her outfit was already bizarre looking enough. Hopefully people would just shrug her off as poor, and wearing a ragtag bunch of clothing simply because she could not afford anything else.

Lost in thought, she did not notice an even older woman taking a seat next to her until she touched her hand. Ashi jerked her hand back in shock, but her agitated response only served to mortify her upon seeing the person who had touched her. She bowed her head in apology, but the elderly woman only chuckled and gestured for her to stop.

"You are a very distracted young woman." She hummed.

"I apologize." Ashi tried, but her apology was again dismissed.

"Don't add any more worry to your troubled mind." Her smile curved up more, hiding her thin lips beneath the wrinkled skin of her mouth. If only to be hospitable, Ashi poured the woman a cup of tea, and her tablemate thanked her with an airy laugh.

"I know that faraway look." The woman chuffed. "Is there a young man on your mind?"

Ashi blinked in surprise before nodding with anticipation. For a moment, she thought perhaps the woman was a seer, and might have useful information about Jack, but her interest quickly fell as her companion began giddily implying that the concern in her eyes was for 'her lover'. Despite her deflated hope, Ashi decided not to correct her. The world was healing, and full of optimistic things like _love_ once more—why torment an elderly woman with the possibility that the hero prince was in mortal danger?

The woman took a long drink from her cup, then began to tell Ashi a fable, thinking it may calm her. Ashi tried to focus on what the woman told her, but her mind continually wandered back to Jack. It was hard to understand with her attention drifting in and out; a boy throwing a rock at a girl, and then marrying a woman with a scar in the same place that the rock struck the girl from his childhood? It didn't seem to have any value toward her mission, but she got the gist of the woman's story; a red string connects the souls of lovers. She had some vague recollection of the idea from when she was very small, but her mother frowned upon fairytales like that.

"Nothing can break that bond, and if the string binds them, those souls will always meet. Always." The old woman nodded confidently with a warm smile. Ashi tried to smile back, but felt unease starting to worm its way back into her belly. A buzzing feeling in her arms and legs told her that she was wasting precious time, and needed to keep moving.

Ashi thanked the woman for sharing her words with her before leaving the teahouse to continue her journey.

* * *

Three more days had passed, and her dreams continued relentlessly. Instead of sleeping on the fourth night, Ashi forced herself to stay awake, but now regretted her decision to do so. Whether she could continue with no rest didn't matter, her horse still needed to sleep, and now she was alone with nothing but the hot afternoon sun as company. She pressed her back firmly against the tree she sat beneath, trying to crush the anxiety out of her skin. Kyoto was close, she just needed to be patient a little longer, and then she would be able to see Jack and know for sure if he was alright or not.

Her boots shifted in the soft dirt, and she breathed out a throaty sigh. The rustling of the forest around her reminded her of her brief time with him. Jack had tried so hard to gain her favor; even if she hated him then, and even if he only did so because he thought she was someone else, his mild nature and jovial mannerisms stayed with her, and she missed them deeply. She wondered if he would welcome her so sweetly as herself, or if that affection was reserved for his lover. She couldn't help but hope he would still be happy to see her, and perhaps someday they would be able to travel together again. Memories of Jack doing mundane things filled her thoughts, and she couldn't help but smile. Her eyes began to close with the image of his sleeping face in mind, and she fell asleep.

The comforting darkness beneath her eyelids quickly warped to into an eerie void. A familiar cold light dimly accented a stone stairway before her. She was aware again that it was the same dream as before, but something was different this time. She could clearly feel the night air chilling her skin, and as she looked around, she could see vague shapes of trees around her. Ashi glanced around as she walked, unused to being able to move so freely in her dreams anymore. As she came to the bottom of the steps, her eyes widened at the sight of gravestones.

A moment of clarity struck her, and she fell breathless into panic once more; _the graveyard_ —that's where Jack was! It felt so obvious to her now, and she couldn't understand why before the thoughts felt so jumbled. Jack was in a cemetery, preparing to commit seppuku, and a powerful being was going to try to stop her from intervening. Her eyebrows creased furiously, and she bolted forward through the maze of headstones and markers, determined to reach him this time.

She was thankful for just a moment that her legs were actually moving her, only for dread to stab at her again when an unusual heaviness slowly began to grow in them. It reminded her of the weights that her mother would fasten to her ankles periodically during training, but instead of remaining constant, this weight was gradually increasing. Ashi trudged forward spitefully, using her anger at these endless hindrances to fuel her resolve. As she reached the most eliminated area of the graveyard, whatever force was affecting her legs pushed down on her entire body, and she fell onto her hands and knees.

Again her body felt completely drained, as though she had just been in a fight for her life. She tried to get her breath back, and strained to lift her head. Jack sat before her, sitting on his heels, with the wakizashi held tight in his outstretched hand. The obscure figure of an incredibly large samurai loomed behind him, standing off to his left, and she could see the glint of their sword above Jack's head. Ashi felt herself tremble in terror, but refused to buckle beneath the force of her own exhaustion. She dug her fingers against the mossy, eroded stone in an attempt to pull herself forward.

" _Samurai!_ " Ashi called out to him. She heard her voice lose its volume, and her eyes widened in horror. It was happening _again_ —she couldn't reach out to him _again_ , just like the dreams before!

" _Wait! Don't—!_ " She tried again, but her words caught in her throat as she watched him bring the short-sword down.

Unlike the dreams prior, however, she did not wake up before the blade pierced him. She watched in stunned horror as the length of the sword buried itself into his stomach with a sickening, wet sound. She tried to gasp in shock, but felt like no air went in. Her eyes shook watching the blood start to bubble and ooze from around the sword's blade, and her lips shuddered into a bitter grimace as she realized that this time she was too late. Jack trembled as he struggled to keep his grip on the handle, and he adjusted his shoulders to finish the action. Ashi couldn't bear to see him carry out something so gruesome against himself, and she tried to heave forward to beg him not to.

Instead of her voice dying as it passed her lips, it bellowed out of her, and her anguished " _No!_ " upset the dark forest around her. The sounds of scattering birds mixed within the gentle rustling of trees took a moment for her to register, but Ashi realized shortly that she was no longer in a cemetery, but under the same tree she rested under when the sky was glowing orange and pink. The atmosphere around her was dark, but the difference in mood from the dingy graveyard in her dream was jarring. Despite the calm of the night, Ashi's terror could not ease, and she mounted her startled horse in a panic. She couldn't wait until morning—she needed to get to the palace _now_.

The hooves of her horse beat against the dirt path like fevered drums, matching the racing of her own heart. If her dreams were meant to be premonitions, she feared now that she had taken too long to respond to the universe's warnings to her. Ashi gripped the reins and squeezed her legs against her horse's sides, begging it move faster.

* * *

She felt ill the moment the towering point of the castle's roof came into view. Part of her wanted to turn back, for fear of what she might find, or what she might _not_. If Jack wasn't at the palace tonight, she thought she might go mad. She begged the gods to reward her bravery for continuing on, despite these worries, with his presence. Her judgement warned her from continuing to gallop wildly up to the palace gates, since she had no idea what her standing was with the imperial guards. On one hand, she might be allowed into the inner palace courtyards as Jack's guest, on another, they could attempt to arrest her. She had no question in her ability to beat back and escape a few dozen guards, but she didn't want to attack anyone if she didn't have to—surely if anyone were to be injured, it would upset Jack.

Rather than approach straightforwardly, she relied on her training as a shinobi to enter the palace secretly, as she had before. Ashi gave her horse a smack on the rump to urge it into a run without her, and sunk to the ground against the palace wall. She watched her steed hurdle past the guards, distracting them long enough for her to move unnoticed. She leapt up nimbly and gripped onto the overhanding roof of the outer wall, easily flipping herself up on top of it. Her feet were silent as she rushed along the middle of the roof, crouching against shadows whenever she heard footsteps below, and listening carefully to the fading conversation of guards as they tried to make sense of the unmanned horse on the other side of the wall. The moon seemed to orbit the castle's powerful presence as she made distance from one corner of the compound to another with agile speed.

As she approached the dairi on the north-east side of the grounds, where the emperor and nobles likely lay sleeping, she hesitated. The last time she was here, she had surveyed these courtyards for days, watching to see which building Jack favored sleeping in. This time she didn't have the luxury of waiting, and had to rely on a guess from what she already knew; that Jack didn't stay within the dairi at all. Even if now many of the buildings were nearing completion, she had to hope that he still stayed within the palace itself, and hadn't moved in the time since she had last been here.

Ashi bound onto the muné of a nearby structure's roof and followed it all the way down until she could jump to another building. She used the limbs of an overhanging tree to blend further into the darkened rooftop as a pair of guards patrolled across a small walkway below. She had passed what she believed were the personal residences within the dairi and was now above the empty meeting halls. Despite the low possibility of anyone being inside, she still tread carefully across the rooftops until she reached the castle's high stone foundation.

Claws out, she leaped from the edge the building that pressed closest to the tower, onto a large tree, and then rebounded to the wall of cemented boulders at the castle's base. It had been easy enough to scale the palace before, but being this close to Jack made her pulse quicken, and she felt like her excitement would make her careless. It took all of her ability to maintain a steady body while she jumped and flipped from the protruding decorations of the castle's pagodas. Each step and each grasp filled her with adrenaline from the inevitable conclusion she was racing toward.

She tried her best not to think about the horrors she might find inside his bedroom, or the excruciating disappointment she might face if he was not there—she could only let the need to see him urge her forward, until she landed skillfully on the red railing of a familiar balcony.

* * *

Jack laid in bed for hours, unable to find any rest despite the solitude within the castle's walls. Instead of calming him, the silence made him feel exceedingly lonely.

The past month had tested his spirit tirelessly, and though he had come to accept the faults of his father, the turmoil still left him feeling gutted. Mostly because, he imagined, he had no one to confide in—not with things so personal, anyway. No one in the palace would feel comfortable hearing his concerns about his father, he knew that. Jack wished sadly that he had taken advantage of his time with Ashi when he had had the chance; if _anyone_ would speak to him frankly about his father, it was her.

But the mere thought of her only added another layer to his silent suffering. He still couldn't help wondering where she was, or what she was doing, and the inability to find those answers tore him up inside. Part of him felt like a fool for leaving her behind the way he did, thinking that perhaps she could have come to live with him at the palace, and they could start again, building a relationship that both felt comfortable with—but that was a _selfish_ part of him too.

This Ashi was her own person, with no intimate ties to him, and she deserved to be free to go wherever she wanted to be. Her peace was all he could wish for after she vanished, and knowing that somewhere in the world, that some version of her was enjoying that peace and freedom, should be enough for him. Unfortunately, that acceptance did little to mend his heart, and he longed for her despite himself.

Rest was something his spirit seemed to have no time for, and often now he would go with little to no sleep. Tonight, Jack had the fortune of feeling a little drowsy, but it was still late into the evening before he managed to slip into a weak state of sleep.

Just moments after he closed his eyes, however, he felt a shift in the atmosphere of the room. There was a strange friction to the air, almost a state of anxiety, and he could see, even without opening his eyes, that the room had grown darker. He realized in shock that there was a presence in the room with him. His eyes flashed open in concern, and he quickly sat up on his elbows to look at the balcony door that he had left open. Inside its frame stood a slender figure, with their legs spread and shoulders set as though they were bracing themselves imposingly. Their form eclipsed the moon's light, and their eyes stared wildly into the room, wide enough that he could see the whites of their eyes glowing around all sides of their irises.

The figure was eerie enough fill him with some uneasiness, but it was a fear he knew well.

"…Ashi?" He breathed, unable to believe it himself. He sat up further, only to pause as the figure began to move toward him. The steps were calculated and steady, and as the shadow grew closer, he could see it truly _was_ Ashi. The way she moved concerned him—he had seen robots move with the same cold instinct—and he wondered if she had come to try to assassinate him again. She reached his bedside, still staring at him unnervingly.

Then, slowly, she knelt and she reached a hand out, and cupped his face. Her eyes softened as she brushed her fingers across his skin, accepting finally that this was no dream, and that he was really here before her, and safe. All of the dread she had bottled up over the past few weeks extinguished at once, and she thought the relief might bring her to tears. She sat on the edge of his bed and set her other hand against his opposite cheek, caressing his skin with both hands now. Jack felt his face warm at the sudden contact, and felt confident enough to smile when he saw Ashi's lips perk into a small one.

"Ashi… what are you doing here?" Jack whispered with little force; the answer wasn't actually any concern to him, he was only happy to see her.

He set a hand over one of hers, and Ashi's stroking paused a moment. The feeling of his hand moving across her own sent too many sensations across her skin. It had been so long since she had been able to touch him, or have him touch her—even in her dreams. She moved out of her daze enough to look up at him, and the tenderness in his eyes finally brought tears to hers.

Her hands began to shake, and she gripped onto his jaw to steady herself while she blinked her tears away. Jack's eyebrows pulled up in confused worry, and he moved his hand to hold her shoulder comfortingly.

"What's wrong?" He asked quietly. Ashi shook her head gently; she had been taught to control her emotions, and certainly to never cry, but he made it so difficult. Instead of telling him about all of the useless worries and dreams that had haunted her over the past month, she moved to fill her curiosity. Something was strange between them, and as she thumbed across his cheek again, finally free from agonizing about his safety, that connection begged for answers once more. The dreams were too strange, and the visions she saw in waking hours only frightened her further. Supernatural things where not uncommon to her anymore, but Ashi had no explanation for the phenomena she was experiencing. She had been so certain that he was mistaken, speaking about 'losing her memories' and being from another time, but she couldn't be sure of anything anymore. Nothing in her life made sense any longer, and she decided then that it would be best to start again, from the beginning.

"Shinjiro," She looked up to him with an unusual glittering in her eyes. "Would you… tell me your story again? The story about… you and I?"

Jack blinked in surprise, but his expression quickly settled into a warm smile from her soft tone, and her use of phrasing. The last time he saw her, they had parted ways on such bitter circumstances—to have her smiling at him so fondly, and speaking about them that way, gave him butterflies. His arms ached to hold her, but he knew he had no right to do so, and settled for gripping her hand reassuringly when she placed it into his palm.

"Of course." He breathed through his smile, and moved to allow her more space on his bed.

* * *

 **AN:** COULD IT BE… AFTER NEARLY A 3 MONTH HIATUS… IT _IS!_

As a few guests have joked in the reviews… _3 months have passed… and yet, the suffering continues…_

Except it **DOESN'T!** HAHA! Our heroes are reunited after a month of prolonged torture. (Which, was the reason this took so long, I'd like to add. One can only write so much angst before they're like _'alright already! I get it they're sad!'_ )

Despite the trudging through fear and sorrow-laden synonyms, I really enjoyed writing a chapter with 90% Ashi. She's as much of a protag as Jack, and after this point… well, it's going to be a lot easier to keep them on the same page. /kekeke

Not sure when the next chapter will be out with my work schedule and all, but I want to say soon! I'm super excited to get over this sad hump and onto the GOOD STUFF.

And as a note, I've been doing **excessive** research on feudal Japan, and was horrified to realize that the Kyoto palace didn't even _have_ a castle. Castles were actually for the military elite (which, Jack's father is written more like a shogun, but that's another gripe for another time), so I had to make some adjustments to the actual Imperial Palace and the one in Jack's world. It doesn't matter too much, but if you'd like a visual, it's a mix of the Heian/Kyoto Imperial Palace, along with including a castle similar to Fushimi Castle (which is like… 6mi away from the palace lol).

In any case, the Imperial family didn't sleep in a single giant palace, but in several nice buildings in the palace's "diari"… you learn something new all the time. /shrug

ANYWAY I want to thank every for their patience and tormented reviews urging me to continue—I _really_ appreciate it! :3 (I wish I could use heart emojis on ff...)

I can't leave this story off on a sad note [coughGenndycough], but until the next update, ciao! :D


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